Rescuers Responded to a Backcountry SOS, But Found No One There

A search and rescue team in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge responded to an SOS call on September 15, but when responders reached the coordinates from where the message was sent, they found no sign of anyone in trouble. Hours later, the rescue team discovered that the party had self-rescued, simply hiked out of the woods on their own. It was a happy ending, but one that tied rescuers up for several hours.

The Emergency SOS feature, introduced on the iPhone 14 in 2022, enables users to call for assistance in areas with no cell service using their phone. In some instances, it eliminates the need for a dedicated satellite messenger device, like a Garmin inReach. This built-in SOS capability has proved invaluable for long-distance hikers and even for veteran rock climbers, and can be helpful in countries where dedicated satellite messengers are illegal.

Responding agency, Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team (WCSART), reported on Facebook that it had received an SOS Alert from an Apple Dispatch Center. According to WCSART, a team of hikers had used the “Emergency SOS” feature on their iPhone to call for assistance via satellite. Dispatch communicated with the hikers, instructing them to remain at their location and wait for rescue teams. They then provided the hikers’ coordinates to WCSART, who promptly dispatched a team of rescuers on foot to reach the stranded party.

However, when the rescuers arrived, the hikers were no longer in the area.

“After hiking in approximately four miles, the group was not located at the coordinates,” wrote WCSART on Facebook. Despite instructions from the dispatch center, the hiking party decided to continue on their own. Unfortunately, they also hiked away from the direction that rescuers were approaching.

“Although the group made it out on their own, team members spent many hours hiking over eight miles in very rugged terrain. Fortunately, we were able to make cellular contact with our team members to advise them that the hikers had self-rescued,” wrote WCSART. The agency added that although it was happy with the outcome, it was ultimately a waste of time and resources—and could have been prevented.

Vast and rugged, the wilderness around the Red River Gorge isn’t a place where rescue services go unused, either. Just two weeks ago, a young hiker died in the area after falling 40 feet from the top of a sandstone arch.

In its online post, WCSART reminded hikers to follow the directions given by rescue officials—especially after making an SOS call.

“The lesson here is that if you call for assistance, please follow the directions provided. The result of the group not following those directions tied up valuable resources for hours. If we were not able to contact our search party, they could have been searching for many [more] hours,” wrote WCSART.

For more on Apple’s Emergency SOS feature, see this in-depth review from our columnist, Alex Hutchinson.