Originally Posted by San Antonio Express News

A San Antonio rock climber was the first to be rescued inside Big Bend National Park this week with the help of a personal locator beacon, raising awareness of the small instrument's effectiveness.

The 48-year-old hiker, whose identity was not released, activated the emergency transmitter at about 8 p.m. Dec. 30 after becoming stuck on a rock ledge of Elephant Tusk Mountain, according to National Park Service officials.

The U.S. Air Force contacted park officials after picking up the distress signal.

After spending the night on the ledge in below-freezing temperatures, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter spotted the trapped hiker near the top of the mountain early on New Year's Eve.

He was in a secluded area, waving a space blanket at the helicopter, said DPS Lt. Martin L. Jackson in an incident report.

The hiker told park rangers he had climbed up a rock chimney to get to the top of the mountain, but became stuck after realizing he wasn't able to climb back down. He made the ascent up the chimney carrying only the space blanket, whistle, small light, water, trail mix and the personal locator beacon.

"He became so cold that had he not had his space blanket to keep warm, he would have died of hypothermia," Jackson said in his report.

David Elkowitz, the park's acting superintendent, said it would have been difficult to rescue the hiker without the personal locator beacon and the help of the DPS helicopter.

"The PLB probably saved his life," stated a news release from the park service.