September 30, 2025

While on an international hiking trip, Mylene Torres was hit and dragged by a boulder that had broken loose from the mountain. Fortunately, her inReach® satellite communication device¹ survived the impact, and she was able to use it to get help. She shared the story with Garmin.

I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and this year, as a birthday gift to myself, I decided to spend a month in the Dominican Republic doing what I love most — hiking, which I do every weekend in the Rocky Mountains and in different countries.

While there, I suffered a terrible accident hiking Loma Atravesada, descending toward The Valley Beach. My guide and I were nearing the end of our hike when we heard the unmistakable sound of a boulder breaking loose from high above us. We couldn’t see it at first, but by the time we did, it was already barreling toward us at full speed.

We each jumped to opposite sides of the trail, but at the very last moment, the boulder changed direction and hit me almost head-on. It dragged me down the mountain for several meters before rolling past me. Miraculously, I remained conscious and was able to scream for my guide, who rushed to my side. I was in excruciating pain and on the verge of passing out. He did everything he could to keep me awake — he poured alcohol on a cloth for me to smell and kept repeating, “Stay with me! Don’t go! God is with us!”

Once I was calm, I assessed my injuries and realized I couldn’t walk. I asked him to hand me my Garmin inReach Mini 2 device. He didn’t know what it was, so I quickly explained it is a satellite communicator and that I could call for help even without cell service.

When I pressed the SOS button, I was terrified. All I could think was, “Please work! Please work! Please work!” I had never needed it before for anything beyond sending check-in messages to my kids. This was real, and I was putting all my trust in it.

To my relief, the Garmin Response^SM team responded immediately. They asked me if I was conscious and able to communicate, and I was. That moment brought a sense of hope I can’t fully explain. I was no longer alone — we were no longer alone. I told my guide to go to the summit to find help — local farmers, anyone with something they could use to carry me — so I would be ready for extraction when the rescue team arrived. He was hesitant to leave, but I reassured him. “The Garmin Response team knows exactly where I am. I am not alone.”

He returned with several local farmers. These heroes carried me up the mountain in a hammock, cutting through the dense terrain with machetes and, at times, lifting me on their shoulders to keep moving forward. By the time we reached the summit, the helicopter from the Dominican Republic Air Force was arriving. They assessed me, immobilized me, and transported me to the Dr. Ramón de Lara Military Teaching Hospital in Santo Domingo.

Later, as we were trying to understand how I survived the impact, we realized something incredible. The entire left side of my body took the hit — where all of my fractures and injuries are. That’s also where I had my inReach device clipped. Everyone, including me, thought the device would be smashed. But somehow, it was the only thing on me that didn’t break. It still worked perfectly, and it became my voice when I needed help most.

I also later found out that my emergency contacts had been notified of the situation by the Garmin Response team. I didn’t even realize that would happen — but knowing now, I can’t tell you how much peace that brings me. In that moment of chaos and pain, Garmin inReach was the lifeline not only for me but for my loved ones as well.

I sustained fractures in my pelvis and spine (T9 and T10), multiple lacerations, a pulmonary embolism and deep bruising. Thankfully, there was no bone displacement, so surgery wasn’t necessary — just complete immobilization. I spent several days in the ICU, then in a recovery room while my insurance arranged my transfer back to Canada. I am now continuing recovery, surrounded by care, love and a profound sense of gratitude.

Thank you, Garmin, for creating technology that can truly saves lives. I never imagined I would have to use the SOS feature, but when I did, it worked flawlessly — and I genuinely believe it made the difference between life and death. I will never go on another adventure without my inReach.

¹Active satellite subscription required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communication devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.