SARLOC

SARLOC Technology: Enhancing Mountain Rescue Operations

Author Pete Myers

Director and co-founder

Founder

SARLOC technology is a tool developed by Russell Leslie Hore primarily to assist Mountain Rescue Teams to locate ‘lost’ people via their mobile ‘phone. The service is free to use.

The SARLOC^© system has been saving lives since 2009.

Interested Search and Rescue organisations should contact Russ Hore: sarloc@russ-hore.co.uk

SARLOC: A Web-Based Mobile Tracking System for Mountain Rescue Operations

SARLOC technology leverages a common feature in most phone web browsers to pinpoint the phone’s location, which is then displayed on specific websites. When a web browser accesses a particular type of site, it automatically shares the phone’s location data.

In a rescue scenario, the SARLOC system sends a text message to the missing person’s phone. This message contains a link to the SARLOC server. Once the link is clicked, the server captures the phone’s location and displays it on a map on the mountain rescue website.

For the system to function effectively, the following conditions must be met:

The mobile phone must be capable of receiving text messages.
The user must be able to click on the link provided in the message.
The phone must have a data connection, such as LTE, to connect to the mountain rescue website.

No special apps are required; only a standard web browser is necessary. The mountain rescue website must be integrated with the SARLOC server to utilize this technology.

SARLOC Operational Flowchart

The SARLOC system operates by sending a text message to the target phone, containing a link to a specific webpage. When the user clicks on the link, the webpage requests the phone’s GPS location. This location data is then displayed on the SARLOC server screen, enabling rescue teams to pinpoint the phone’s position. For the system to function properly, several requirements must be met: the user needs a smartphone with network coverage, the location services must be enabled, and a data connection is necessary. Additionally, the SARLOC server must be operational to process and display the location information.

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