Park rangers give techno tips to save your life

Rangers at Utah's Zion National Park say that technology has proven a godsend for some visitors who've gotten into trouble. No, we're not talking GPS systems, but rather, the simple use of cellular telephones. Here's an example:

A Virginia man tried descending a steep in darkness the man stepped off the trail to urinate. He lost his balance and fell onto the switchback below, breaking his leg. Unable to stand, he crawled and reached as high as possible for cell signal to send two brief text messages to his friends who called rangers for help.

This season alone, Zion's rangers have dealt with several hiking and canyoneering incidents with the aid of text messaging. These include canyoneering parties have gotten ropes stuck, were unable to find rappel anchors, and who were under-prepared for the route and conditions. Why is text messaging some helpful? Voice contact from the canyon floors is often impossible due to the nature of the terrain and noise of flowing water. Though cell service is quite limited to non-existent in the park's terrain of deep, narrow canyons, texting has worked when calls couldn't. Text messaging has helped rangers respond quicker, and often spare themselves unnecessary danger.