My instructor was rescued after being unable to out-climb a rising valley in the BC mountains He would not have survived had the ELT not brought paramedics to drop in on him, since he had three broken ribs. Fortunately I had received my PPL by then and did not need to fly with him!. The aircraft was a C172, C-GIIY
Satellite assists in rescue - UPI Archives
When I went to Transport Canada to write the CPL written exam a few years ago, I found details of his exploit written up on a magazine in the waiting room!
Incidentally, the whole concept of SARSAT was originally developed by ham radio operators, using a ham radio satellite! CRC Shirley Bay Ontario allowed them use of a mainframe computer to do the calculations. One of the hams involved is still alive and hangs out in the Sandford Fleming Building at U of Toronto.
Despite the marketing, it was not a joint US-Russian invention.