Travel Insurance for a Sportsman?

Ever heard of that?? I haven't until recently when my friend went on a lone trip to the Alaskan wilderness.
He's the adventurous type, needs no help from anyone.
He went on a 200 mile excursion in unfamiliar territory. He was in a kayak and about 5 miles in lost his only paddle. With the water racing, he was submerged in freezing water twice.
When he got to shore, soaking wet and hypothermia setting in, he was able to drag his kayak about a mile to a camp he had previously set up.
He called his wife by satellite phone just before he was drifting in and out of consciousness. She in turn contacted this Sportsman's Travel Insurance people he had acquired before he left on this trip. They had evacuation helicopters come in and he was rushed to the hospital where he stayed for several weeks.
This Sportsman's Insurance also sent someone back to get his gear that was left behind.
For the $104.00 he spent on insurance, the cost of his rescue of over $10,000.00 was covered completely.
Now, looking back, I wish we hadn't made fun of him for buying it. He knew more than we.