Which beacon type is intended for personal use?

• A. EPIRB
• B. ELT
• C. PLB
• D. GPS beacon

Answer: (C)

A Personal Locator Beacon is designed specifically for an individual to carry. It’s small, rugged, and portable so you can wear or keep it on you during activities like hiking, climbing, or remote travel. When you activate it, the device sends a distress signal with your location to the satellite system, which primes search-and-rescue teams to find you quickly. Registration with the appropriate authority helps responders know who you are and how to reach you.

The other options serve different environments: an EPIRB is meant for vessels at sea, attached to boats to alert on maritime emergencies; an ELT is built into aircraft to locate downed aircrews; a GPS beacon isn’t a standard category for personal use—while many PLBs provide GPS coordinates to improve accuracy, the device intended for personal use is the Personal Locator Beacon.