Abstract: An emergency locating device allows an injured person to inflate and deploy a balloon using only one hand. The device has a cylindrical housing holding a cartridge pressurized with a quantity of a lighter-than-air gas, a quick-release fitting for removably attaching the balloon to the upper end of the housing, and an actuator extending from the lower end of the housing for causing a pin to puncture the cartridge when the actuator is depressed to allow gas to flow from the cartridge through the fitting to inflate the balloon. The fitting can be manually separated into a lower segment that remains attached to the housing, and an upper segment attached to the balloon that includes a one-way valve to prevent gas from escaping. The inflated balloon is tethered by a line to the housing. The upper portion of the housing can be used as a reel or spool to store the tether line when not in use.