A great question came up on one of our recent posts:
“If I'm outside cell service and have both a Garmin inReach and a satellite-capable iPhone, what's the better emergency call method? Should I hit the Garmin SOS button, or satellite-text a friend and have them call 911?”
Our recommendation:
Trigger the SOS first. Then, if you're able, contact your emergency person and ask them to call 911 — making sure they say your satellite SOS has already been activated for the SAME incident.
Here's why.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PRESS SOS?
Your Garmin SOS does not go directly to your local Search and Rescue team.
It goes to Garmin Response, an emergency coordination centre in Texas, which communicates with you, gathers information and contacts emergency services.
In B.C., SAR cannot self-deploy. We must be activated by a requesting agency — police, fire or ambulance.
So there are several steps between pressing SOS and rescuers actually being deployed.
We recently saw this firsthand.
A REAL LIONS BAY SAR CALL
On August 7, a hiker suffered a significant ankle laceration on Little Brother Peak and couldn't walk. They had an inReach and activated SOS.
17:20 — Injury occurs
17:23 — inReach SOS activated
17:25 — Garmin Response acknowledges SOS
17:28 — Garmin says emergency services have been contacted
17:49 — LBSAR receives its first notification
18:13 — LBSAR formally activated
18:48 — Rescue team arrives at YVR
19:15 — Helicopter picks up rescuers at Lions Bay
19:30 — Rescuers hover-exited onto Little Brother
20:05 — Subject aboard helicopter
20:15 — Subject back at Lions Bay School
Garmin responded quickly — within two minutes — but 26 minutes passed between activating SOS and the first notification reaching our team.
From injury to extraction was almost three hours.
And this was about as good as it gets: known location, good weather, available helicopter, available rescuers and terrain where we could hover-exit.
WHY CALL YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACT TOO?
Not to create a second incident.
Tell them:
“My satellite SOS has already been activated. Call 911 and tell them you're my emergency contact for the SAME incident.”
They can provide your trip plan, route, vehicle location, party information, equipment, experience, medical information and anything you've told them about what's happening.
That helps build a fuller picture of the incident and can support the requesting agency and SAR managers as we plan the rescue.
Apple's own emergency-services documentation recognizes this role, noting that emergency contacts may have additional information about a person's point of departure, route and equipment.
And the B.C. numbers are interesting: in 2026 YTD, 38.8% of recorded SAR alerts came by cellphone, while 36.4% came from concerned family members or citizens. About one in five involved satellite technology, with iPhone Satellite SOS alone accounting for 11.7%.
WHAT ABOUT IPHONE SATELLITE SOS?
It's an excellent emergency tool, but satellite communication has limitations.
Apple says messages can take tens of seconds to a few minutes to transmit. Terrain and trees can interfere with the connection, and in extreme terrain or dense foliage, transmission may not be possible.
And your GPS pin isn't necessarily your exact location.
Apple provides emergency services with a location and its associated search area. Its own training examples show rescuers may need to search tens of metres horizontally — and vertically above and below the reported elevation — to have a 95% chance of finding the person.
In mountain terrain, 30 metres can matter.
THE BIGGER LESSON
Pressing SOS doesn't make a helicopter appear.
In our response area, you should be prepared to be self-sufficient for a minimum of three hours, even under excellent conditions.
It can easily be six hours or longer if weather prevents flying, aircraft aren't available, your location is uncertain, technical rescue is required or rescuers have to reach you on foot.
Carry enough equipment to keep yourself or an injured partner warm, dry, sheltered, hydrated and medically stable while we're getting to you.
So, back to the original question:
If you have an inReach, trigger SOS. Then contact your emergency person and have them call 911, clearly identifying it as the SAME incident.
If iPhone Emergency SOS via Satellite is the emergency system you have available, use it.
And leave a good trip plan with someone who knows what to do with it.
The SOS tells us you need help. Your emergency contact helps build the fuller picture. And your equipment keeps you safe while we're coming.
#SearchAndRescue #AdventureSmart #BackcountrySafety #GarminInReach #EmergencySOS #BCSAR