I Hit SOS On My Garmin InReach mini: Here's What Happened 

I have had to use the SOS button once in the 5 years I have my InReach. Not for me but for another rider. Amazing response and worth every penny I have spent

Dang bro, glad you are OK. I've been looking at those trackers recently, I live in BC and getting hurt up in the mountains would suck. Your story has compelled me to pull the trigger.

I’m out in the wilderness almost every day either hiking, motorcycling, or jeeping and am never without my Garmin! Like you, I sometimes wonder what would happen if I needed it. Glad to hear of your success!

In 1985 my car threw a rod on 1-95 in Maryland. The roadside emergency button station I walked to didn’t work. 12 hours later a Maryland State Trooper stopped and called a tow truck for me. I had no emergency food or water. AAA paid for the tow. Things are better today. I’m glad you’re okay.

I have the Garmin Inreach Messenger, the updated model. FYI, Garmin offers an insurance plan to pay for a rescue crew/helicopter. Read the fine print. Aside from charging both phone and InReach, carry a battery pack to recharge in the wild in case your rescue effort is delayed, you can't run the motor to recharge, or inclement weather shortens the performance of the battery

Thanks! I've had an InReach SE for years. Actually it's a DeLORME, from before Garmin bought them. I have it while exploring the Nevada desert. I've never had to use the SOS button but it is nice being able to send the wife a message that has my exact location when I'm in the middle of nowhere. Glad you're okay.

Thanks for the Real World example of how the system works. Glad you're safe.

Just about to press the button on a mini 2… you helped me decide! I’m 70 and returning to dirt riding on a lil TW200 but much of the areas I want to ride in have very sketchy cell service and I want to be able to do just what you did. Thanks! Glad you came out OK keep that rubber side DOWN! ;-)

I had a nearly identical situation a couple weekend ago on the Great Western Trail just outside of Torrey, UT. Foot was trapped and the rear peg was hung up on the inside of my boot. Fortunately I did have service and Wayne County Sherrif’s came out to save my foot and maybe my life. I was only under the bike for about 30 mins but they were pretty scary and eye opening. No injuries but still have some soreness and numbness on my leg where the bike was resting. 2007 R1200 GSA. Glad to hear your story and that you were ok. Plus the info about the Garmin is very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to post this.

People anywhere who are in need of assistance should keep in mind that rescuers can usually find your vehicle easier than they can find you.......STRONGLY consider staying with your vehicle.

I agree with all your observations. I have a ZOLEO and never go anywhere out of cell service without it, whether I’m hiking, in the camper or on the bike. I have a 2019 310GS like you. I’ve never needed to press the SOS and hope I never do but it’s nice having the peace of mind that even though I can in very remote place I can still make contact when needed.

I rented one of these for a long overlanding trip just in case. Didn't have any issues along the way so i only used it to update family. Thanks for walking through the emergency functions and glad it worked out well for you. That mountain biker is hardcore too

Wow great adventure and related story! We’re so fortunate to have this tech available to stay connected + alive. Gave you a Sub.

I ran the entire White Rim trail on my xr650r in right at 4 hrs. It is a long axx trail!!!! Took all day in my jeep.

Great job! The Garmin InReach is a critical piece of equipment! Thanks for the details and I'm happy you were not hurt!!

Great PA, I'm a big fan of the InReach. Glad you adventuring on!

I am a “senior” and not a big person and not as strong as I used to be. I carry an Eastbound Motowinch (light weight, segmented and from Netherlands) strapped on my passenger seat. So far only used it once when the wheel chock on motorcycle trailer did not hold my bike up when I was getting reading to strap it down. But I bought it because I saw videos of someone advertising it and they showed example of being pinned under bike, pulling it out, setting it up and ratcheting the bike up enough to get out from under.

Glad to hear your story, it’s great you are ok. Thanks for sharing the story, you have helped a lot of people stay alive

Thanks for putting this out!! 👍

Great video and thanks for sharing. Glad you’re ok. Been looking at Inreach products for sometime, think I’ll get one now! Subscribed! Ride safe

thanks for sharing this experience. i always have my inreach on me but was also not sure how it would work. this gives me a bit more peace of mind. i also crashed about 2 weeks ago in a foreihn country and unfortunatly tore my cruciate ligament, but there were people who were able to help. So no need for the inreach. Thanks again and happy offroading

Holy cow. Glad you're Ok. Made a believer out of me on the Garmin if I ever go out to that remote of an area.

Wow! Glad you’re ok. That’s a scary situation to be in. I ride alone and have started videoing with a GoPro. I’m on paved roads but outside of the city and I think about what would happen if I took a spill. It wouldn’t be pretty. I mount my GoPro on the handlebars and have it off and hit the record button to record and hit it again to stop recording and it turns off. I could see that happening just like it did to you even though I’m on country roads. That pavement can jump up and trip me up outa nowhere. Excellent video and information. Be safe.

🙏 Glad to see that you are OK!

Glad your ok, amazing views in this series, has been great, all the best.

Glad you're OK. Yeah Ive been out there a few times on my ADV... There was a few sand sections that'd just swallow the GSA , I was on, itd get sketchy really fast.

At 60 yo and disabled, I am back on 2's but only on the street. I would have loved adventure riding but chose other things. I have considered doing some long ribbon and slab rides and I have considered carrying one of these as a backup to my cell. Even though I would likely not be out of service, it is possible. I am glad you were uninjured. Stay smooth and keep the ... well I guess, shinier side on top

I was riding my TW200 on a weekday in the mountains close to my city. I was going up a fairly gnarly trail, and I had a 4 inch wide trail to miss this huge boulder that was buried. I missed my 4 inch trail and the rear wheel went into the hole at the bottom of the boulder. My torquey little bike instantly went over backwards and landed on my left leg. I was not hurt, but I could not get into a position to lift the bike off my leg. I always ride alone, and I have done so for 40 + years. About 7 years ago I bought an ARC Personal Locater Beacon. That first one aged out after 5 years, and I bought a new one to replace it. I really did not want to call out Search and Rescue just to lift the bike off my leg, but I would have. Fortunately I wore my Carr-Hart slip on mini boots that day. With some effort, I was able to slide my foot out of my boot and get out from under my TW. I did have a deep abrasion on my ankle that left a mark that will be with me for the rest of my life, BUT, I did get out without needing to call S&R. On one of the websites they had a story about an older couple that was driving their Jeep up by Flagstaff AZ. They were 30 miles from the pavement, and got hopelessly stuck. They had a PLB, but they thought that it was only for emergencies. They Husband decided to try to walk out, but after 1 mile, he realized that 30 miles was not doable, so he went back. They activated their PLB and about an hour later S&R made it to them. They started to apologize right away because neither of them were injured. The S&R people then said, "We would much rather come out here and help you folks out than come out for a body recovery." I never have forgotten that!!! By the way, I am 77 years old, and I still ride a dirt bike. Go figure!!

I'm glad you weren't injured. I've ridden WRT twice. It's a serious road but we'll worth the effort.

Great information. My wife and I have been talking about it for a while. Think it's time to get one. FYI. My ridingh/hunting kit includes a USB battery charger.

HA, i had a rock bust a hole in my case of my old KLR back in 2010'ish at that very same area as you. I was literally at the junction for the road that takes you to the White Crack camp ground. No garmin mini back then and SPoT was a new thing I didn't have yet. Luckily I wasn't alone, had 5 minute JB weld, spent an 1 1/2 asking the next 21 people who went by for oil and finely got back on the trail. That was my first time on the WRT. I now have a Mini and glad to see people sharing how the SOS feature is working.

Glad your OK. But your the second explorer recently having problems. Check out "Itchy boots" crashing in a similar way in Africa!!! Ended up closing down her trip, and surgery- so good on ya for being to able ride it out.

Glad everything worked out OK for you. Beautiful scenery. Curious if you had hard or soft painners?

My understanding, from friends who are search and rescue volunteers, is that there is no cost for rescues by the local county agencies. Also, most of the county helicopter rescue guys LIVE for doing real rescues (they fortunately don’t do a lot of them). So if you have one of these devices and you or another person is at risk, hit the button. And if you go into the backcountry and don’t have one of these devices, get one.

I had to use the SOS last year. They responded via Helicopter since that was the only way to get to us since the roads were all washed out. Challenging ride to get to where we were in Nevada. Idaho actually responded and there was no cost for the service from the Sheriffs department. Don’t know if that is how all departments operate but was grateful to have the service and not have a huge bill for the rescue.

Good video. Thanks for the info. I have the Garmin Inreach+ & have downloaded their Earthmate app. You're right: trying to text on the Garmin is an exercise in frustration. BTW, I charge my electronic devices "in flight" so they're ready to go when I need them. Recommended.

If you do anything in the backcountry in the US, you should check the State and see if there is a SAR stamp/card you can get. In Utah, it's called a USARA card. Not only will it help fund search and rescue efforts in the State, but may help you personally avoid some expenses on your end if you need to use those services.

Thanks for the review I’m going to have to invest in one of those! I too have a 310gs and have done white rim, we definitely had some close calls and it was rough going after my fork seal blew out on the trail! The are a few shorts on my channel of it and some other local trails

I carried a Garmin SPOT Gen 3 for many years, but recently canceled service on it because I quit riding off road. I was partially disabled for the past several years I rode, and realized that I was far more likely to become stranded in the middle of nowhere due to a mechanical breakdown, especially a flat tire. In the AZ desert, flat tires are a way of life. I've had dozens of them. But I realized that it was no longer likely that I would be able fix a flat tube type tire by myself out in the desert. And there is no way I could walk out. My walking distance is limited to about 2 blocks. That's when I gave up and sold my dual sport bikes. My understanding is they typically don't charge for a rescue if you are seriously injured. They are after all paid with taxpayer money. But if you are not injured, and are only stranded because of a mechanical breakdown, it's likely to get VERY expensive. Because you put yourself in that position knowing that you shouldn't have. You mentioned all that texting. What if you are seriously injured, and the best you can do is push the SOS button? Are they still going to show up if you don't respond? Fortunately I never had to find out.

Before I bought my ADV bike ( previously rode dirt bikes) I always wondered how someone could get pinned under a motorbike until it happened to me, it happened so fast I was pinned face down so couldn't twist enough to get any leverage to push the bike off, luckily finally managed to pull my foot out but it made me realise how much an extra 100kg of bike is. I carry the bigger in-reach and find it an invaluable tool, mostly to let family know where I am but as peace of mind in your scenario. Pleased you had a good outcome.

Ever since I started riding off Road and out of cell coverage I have my GPS locator. Right now I have Garmin 66i before that SPOT also always take it on the hikes or Camping trips I have a full year subscription and never deactivate it . I never know when I will need it so its always ready

GREAT report. Very useful information. I went solo off road moto camping once, last July, on my G310GS. I dropped the bike as soon as I tried to leave camp but I was off the bike and standing next to it before I knew what happened. My subconscious knew better than to try to save it and be trapped under the bike in remote woods where I'd be found in several months. I didn't have a satellite communicator but texting is reliable at that location. I just went back with a friend a week ago and almost dropped the bike three times on the way to the campsite. I was tired and hot, maybe like you, 50 miles into the White Rim Trail. I definitely need to get a satellite communicator. I need to study the costs. It'd be worth paying more per month if there was no penalty to suspend or pay lower inactive account maintenance costs every month, although I'm riding more in the off months than I expected. I went camping in the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana last December. It was very handy that the friendly mountain biker came by to help rescue you, but you couldn't wait all day for the hope of a rescue, so it's also good that you pressed the SOS button and were able to cancel the rescue. I believe the most dangerous thing I do on my motorcycle is trying to turn my GoPro on and off. The user interface sucks and takes several tries, when I should be giving my full attention to riding. Sometimes, I think I turned off the camera and it stays on until the battery dies 30 minutes later, then it won't turn on again until I stop and change batteries. It's a terrible user interface for an action camera, which is intended for use during strenuous and demanding activities. I'd install the GoPro app on the tablet that I use for a GPS navigator and run the two apps split screen, but using WiFi to control the GoPro eats the tiny battery. I should bite the bullet and buy a DJI Osmo or Insta360 (not the fish eye 360 degree version that needs special video editing software).

@sasqmoto Question about a comment in your final thoughts. You mention using voice to text to reach for help if your hands are injured (assuming the phone is charged). Does the inReach mini allow you to use your phone to compose the emergency messages? I just started looking into emergency beacons and understand it's slow communicating with the device itself. So if there's a way to pair it with a phone to compose texts, verbally or otherwise, I'd be really keen to know. Thanks

And I’m glad your ok

I think that’s a good argument for using a lighter bike so that if that accident happens you can easily get from under the bike and you would still have plenty of power and easier in so many ways?

I carry a Garmin and phone, but I also carry a ratchet jack ( Eastbound) in a bag strapped to the posterior seat. In theory I could, if trapped, dig it out and lift the bike off of my legs. I do worry about dropping my bike. And not being able to lift the bike ( I,m 73 y.o.). A solo hiker “ wanderlust” used a Garmin to evacuate via helicopter. I believe Garmin paid for a significant amount of the $ fee.

Great information!

Riding my quad, lost control and sent into a ditch smashing my ankle along the way. I was clear of the quad but had enough painto feel something may be broken in ankle. Rangers responded, started checking me out, blood pressure too high so they called in a helicopter, i wasnt given a choice. Helicopter ride cost insurance company $60k to get me to hospital about 40 minutes away.

Glad you are ok and thanks for sharing your story. While I certainly don't know your whole story, a couple observations from someone who has been exploring the backcountry on big bikes for a couple decades. on . A stuck pant leg is not an emergency if you have a knife....ALWAYS have a knife and a whistle w/in reach. Goot that you had your InReach w/in reach. Often, I see clients with their PLBs on their bike, or on a "backpack" that can get ripped off. Tip....Keep you PLB w/in reach using a broken arm. The WRT is a very popular and active trail, before you trigger an SOS and divert rescue resources, ask yourself. Am I currently in real danger or just unconceived and scared? In this case you were inconvenienced and maybe a little scared. If you intend to ride solo, even on mainstream trails like the White Rim. you should have a "non-emergency" contact in your support stack that you can reach out to. Then, you can get their help in non-emergency situations (if available) and not tax the real emergencies. Again, I don't know you details, but there are a lot of people headed into the backcountry these days that rely on trained professionals to assist in inconvenient situations that might seem scary to the uninitiated. This can be problematic. If you are not bleeding out or broken, in a desert with no water, or about to freeze to death....call a friend.

Glad you were okay and that everything worked out. I have some thoughts on this subject: First, if owning an InReach device, absolutely purchase Search and Rescue Insurance Plan for $40/yr. (in 2024)! It will reimburse up to $100k for SAR when using and InReach device for the emergency. Next, while I think the InReach devices are great, folks should also consider carrying a dedicated PLB device on their person. Like mentioned, if your phone isn't charged or the device isn't charged, you're screwed. The higher transmit power of a PLB is more likely to connect in areas of heavy canopy cover, canyons, or where tall mountains may interfere. It also transmits a homing signal so SAR can locate you when they can't see you. When you're alone "two is one, and one is none". Rubber side down.

Rapid Garmin response was due to wide open sky bowl on the Rim Road - you can see lots of satellites.

Have you considered the iPhone now has satellite texting for SOS, and is very reliable and easy to use. All with no fee.

Yeah, I got my leg trapped under my Big Adv bike and could not get it out too. I had the inreach but I was with someone so no call needed. Those bikes are kinda dangerous because of their mass. I prefer my ktm 500exc-f.

Unsure which GPS you're running but I have a Zumo XT (looks similar to yours) and it can pair with the InReach giving you a 2nd option to have a bigger screen and a touchscreen to type if you phone is busted / dead!

how were you able to text if there was no cell service?

Yea if your ever on east coast we could hook up and ride the MABRD

I had something similar happen. I tried a side track up to a peak no one had been down in a while. I know because there were trees down in the road. Of course, I high sided on a loose corner. And I ended up below the bike stuck there. First thought was, Jesus am I gonna die here because I can't lift the bike? 😂 Luckily, I was able to unbuckle my boot after digging out around it and slip out of it. I bought an in reach after that.

voice to text only works if you have signal.

where do you keep your phone when you ride?

Someone should sell a satellite communicator that costs $100, with zero monthly subscription cost, but costs $100 to press the SOS button. I really only want this device for emergencies. SpaceX is greatly reducing the cost to launch satellites. TMobile has already launched a premium tier cell phone that can use satellite comms if there is no cell signal. Starlink is a viable are reasonably priced satellite internet service provider. Soon, we should have much lower cost emergency satellite communicators.

Hey Sasq I’m 245lbs and 6 foot I’m I to big for this bike

How did you text with no cell service?

eight episodes to get halfway around huh?

Damn that's crazy, I'd get a lighter bike

How were you not able to unpin yourself? Sounds like you didn’t try enough