Real-Life Incident: Leo’s Story - Stranded in the Wilderness

'I am stranded': Well site inspector credits Blackline connected wearable device for facilitating remote backcountry rescue

Leo felt the quad’s engine lurch and sputter beneath him.  

“Not good," he muttered, barely completing the thought before the quad sputtered again, then fell silent.  

Hopping off, he scanned the engine with a practiced eye. He was handy, but the quad didn’t allow him to bring a full toolkit with him. He made a few adjustments and tried starting it again, but the vehicle was dead.  

Though he was pretty sure it was futile, he pulled out his cell phone, hoping for at least one bar. No service, no luck. 

Alone, miles from any paved road and deep in the rugged bushland of northern Canada, Leo was stranded. 

Alone in the Backwoods

This wasn’t how his day was supposed to go.  

It was early September and Leo, an energy company field worker in northern Canada, had been on his way to inspect a well site. The location was as remote as they come: an hour’s drive from the nearest town and a long second journey by quad through some rough terrain to get there. But working outdoors, and on his own, was why Leo loved his job. He’d been to this well site many times before. Though a quad failure, that was a first. 

Leo felt a flicker of unease. He had been stranded once before when he went into the backcountry. He spent a night alone in the snow until he was rescued the next day. He never wanted to experience that again. 

Satellite and SOC Save the Day

Luckily, his company had a work alone policy which required employees bring along a Blackline Safety G7x device and G7 Bridge whenever they worked solo in remote locations. With these two devices, he could connect through satellite to a live monitoring agent—anytime, anywhere—to get help. 

Leo pulled out his G7x, and in seconds, sent a message to Blackline’s Safety Operations Center (SOC).
  

I am stranded, he wrote. Send help.

In less than a minute, Leo received a return message from an agent: Help is coming.

Thanks to his G7’s GPS coordinates, the SOC agent knew exactly where he was.  

But Leo also knew that help was hours away from arriving, and he was only about an hour’s walk from his company’s worksite. He set out for the site:  it would be easier for help to find him there and he would have a warm, sheltered place to wait. But it was bear season, and the threat of an encounter was real. 

Check-ins Ease Uncertainty 

As he walked, Leo frequently checked in with Blackline’s SOC agent to feel less alone and ensure they knew his updated location. The SOC agent passed his messages along to Leo’s supervisor, so he knew Leo was safe. 

At last, he reached the worksite, signaled his arrival to the SOC, and settled in to wait for rescue. Hours later, the hum of an approaching quad broke through the quiet. His supervisor was here. As they rode back together, Leo felt grateful for the technology and monitoring services that had enabled his rescue—and for a company dedicated to protecting its lone workers. 

Protection for Lone Workers

As the number of lone workers continues to rise—with an estimated 15-20% of today’s employees reportedly working by themselves—so too do concerns about their safety. To keep these vulnerable workers safe, it’s vital to have a comprehensive lone worker program, along with technology workers can use if they need help, regardless of how remote they are. 

After the incident, Leo expressed to Blackline that he was extremely thankful for his company’s commitment to safety, especially for those working alone. His G7x and G7 Bridge prevented him from spending a cold night alone, in the bush, with active bears nearby. Instead, he made it home for dinner with his family. 

This real-life incident is a true story, but names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the people involved.

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