On Sunday night, two hams rescued a man and his daughter from behind a locked gate in one of Oregon's forests, and I learned some valuable lessons.

The request for help was called in to the District 1 emergency net just before the net was closed for the evening. The man who was requesting assistance had been out for a drive and had gotten lost. He was parked in front of a locked gate on a lumber company road. He was also equipped with an HT and spare batteries.

Immediately, several amateurs called in on the frequency volunteering to help. When the time reached 8 p.m., the net control closed the net and left the frequency. At this point, someone called the State Police while others pulled out old maps and tried to locate the stranded motorist who thought he knew where he was. The discussion of exactly where the man was lost when on and on. In the background, the State Police referred the call to the Forestry Commission, who passed it on to the local police. The local police sent out a Search and Rescue team, but they were helpless without a more precise location. Another amateur thought to call the mill who owned the gate.

Finally, someone called in and asked how many were in the party and if there were any immediate medical concerns. The reply was Two, it's just my daughter and I, and we're fine.

Meanwhile the discussion of exactly where they were continued, on the same frequency. As I listened, I wondered why the map readers didn't move to another repeater to avoid frightening the man and his daughter. Eventually, the most boisterous did QSY to simplex.

The amateur who contacted the mill came back with a question as to the number on the gate. That would allow the people at the mill to pinpoint exactly where they were stranded. After this was determined, another ham called in to explain that he'd been relaying information about their probable location to the Search and Rescue team, and the team was on its way.

At this point, the repeater went quiet. Help was on the way. It showed up in two amateurs who drove up and found the man and his daughter. They then went to the guard shack for the mill and tried to obtain a key to the gate. After what seemed like a very long time with a silent repeater, someone called and asked for a status report. The guard had indicated that the gate did not belong to his company, and he had no idea who had a key for it. This generated a clamor of ideas as to how to get the lock open without a key. Bottom line--at 11:45 p.m., the two amateurs who had driven up there took the man and his daughter home. They left the car where it was for the night.

Sitting in the safety of my home listening to the story unfold was a unique experience for me. I'd never heard a rescue operation before, and I came away with some valuable lessons. First, be prepared--put the HT, backup batteries, and a repeater directory in my truck. Second, my OM taught me about directed nets, that even though the people with the maps were trying to help, they probably should have held their conversation on another frequency, and it might have been wise to keep the emergency net running to retain control of the frequency. Third, amateur radio operators are always willing to pitch in and assist in time of need. Finally, I need training--I want to feel qualified to lend a helping hand when/if I'm ever needed.

So, thanks very much to the two amateur radio operators who led the rescue operation. You helped me too.