Ham Radio to the Rescue in Peru.

Larry Hultquist, OA8ADM/KC7HRT writes "


Ham radio to the rescue in Peru:



In this day and age of high tech do dad and E-mail, it is good to be able to have communications that can still save the day!



When our mission plane, OB-1408 was mistakenly shot down over the Amazon River near the town of Huanta April 20th on a routine and approved flight, we could not talk to the plane.



We normally monitor the 40 meter frequency to back up the flights, but that morning, we got in late and by the time we turned on, Kevin the pilot was on the VHF frequency with the tower, so we did not hear the screams of warning to the tower to radio the attack plane to stop shooting.



We were frantic when the tower at the airport did not answer our phone calls! By then, our plane had crashed in flames onto the Amazon above Huanta and was up side down, floating back down river to the village. Canoes arrived and loaded Kevin, who had been shot in both legs above the ankles and the Bowers family. Jim managed to get his dead wife Roni and daughter Charity out of the plane, along with his son Cory who swam with them to the canoes.



Now in the village of Huanta, Jim used the village ham radio to call Iquitos and tell us of the disaster! Later using another Ham frequency we were able to speak with the clinic, which Kevin had been taken to for emergency treatment and blood!



When the Bowers family arrived in Iquitos, all the phone lines were jammed with well wishers and press! We could not communicate with public communications. I was with Jim, and we did our communications via two-meter contacts with several hams in the area. Using my base at the house, I, OA8ADM could communicate with Carolyn, OA8ADN. She would do what was needed on another phone, which was not jammed up. OA8AEK, Jerry, a new ham in Peru, was another relay and leg person for us as we needed this or that brought, bought, hauled or moved. In the 24 hours of the first day, we were on the air almost the whole time!



One rather funny point in the activities of government people from the US Embassy and Peruvian Air Force came when a General, a judge and a Consul had batteries on their cell phone go dead or could not function from inside the building we were in. They had me make calls for them via two meter and the outside line, or by direct contact with the handi on the other end.



Without the HF units in the town of Huanta,Pevas and Iquitos, we would have been many hours getting word of the deaths of two of the Bowers family! Without the two meter handi’ we could never have gotten done what we did in the time we did to get everyone out to the states for medical treatment and family!



I am a missionary and Ham. I can truthfully say, “Praise the Lord for Ham Radio!”



Larry Hultquist – OA8ADM/KC7HRT"