Missing for eight hours, a Summit County search-and-rescue helicopter spotted the toddler nearly a mile from his camp in the Uinta Mountains Sept. 11.

Aside from a few scratches and a missing sock and shoe, Benjamin was fine.

"He used his shoe for a pretend pillow, so I think he must have taken a nap," Benjamin's mother, Naomi, said this weekend. "He told me he cried a little bit and that he stayed in one spot. He said he basically was trying to get back."

Unfortunately, Benjamin has not been alone in prompting rescues this summer. Whether backpacking, hunting, camping or simply sightseeing, Utahns of all ages have kept area law enforcement and search-and-rescue crews busy.

Advances in technology, namely global positioning systems, or GPS, have provided adult outdoor enthusiasts with a way to prevent getting lost in the wilderness. Choosing the best - and most affordable - technology to help locate young children like Benjamin can be less clear.

Businesses such as Invinc-A-Kid (www.invincakid.com) offer products that let parents follow the movements of their child using GPS systems that come with locator units, which can be attached to the child's clothing, said Nara King, president and chief executive officer.

"As long as there is coverage in the area, they will be able to track the unit," King said.

Units range from $100 to $300, plus parents will also pay a monthly fee and need a computer or cell phone with Internet access to track a unit on a child. Once online, they can track the location and speed their child is traveling, and in an emergency can pass the coordinates on to search-and-rescue personnel, King said.

A radio frequency device, such as the company's Giggle Bug, can be clipped to a child's clothing and beeps when the parent triggers an alarm. While the devices are helpful in areas such as a store, they only cover distances of 80 to 600 feet, depending on the model, King said.

"If a child wandered up into a mountainous area more than 600 feet away, it would be impossible to find a child with these devices," she said.

David R. Smith, a supervisor at Salt Lake City's REI outdoor sporting goods store, said hand-held GPS units, which range in price from $100 to $1,000, are becoming more widely used. But they aren't an option for toddlers - and the same holds true for maps, compasses and even walkie-talkies that also operate on a line of sight, passing signals better on flat terrain and not mountains, he said.

"They could be of value, but the question is whether they would have the presence of mind to operate that device," Smith said. "If they are already lost, it's problematic."

After her son's disappearance, Naomi Myrup said an acquaintance recommended she place a locator microchip in her son. She hasn't decided whether that's a proper solution.

So what is the cheapest alternative even a child can use to help themselves be rescued?

"A whistle," Smith said. "They start at $2 and up."

"Seriously, that sounds low-tech, but for a child that's lost, it's not," he added. "There are also the old standard ideas of the buddy system. Stay with your buddy."

Since being rescued, Benjamin has said he's ready to return to the mountains.

"He says, 'Mom let's go camping again? I won't get lost this time, I promise,' " Naomi Myrup said.

Now that autumn temperatures are on the way, however, the camping trips will most likely wait until next year, she said. The whistle is ready.

ngonzalez@sltrib.com