Tired from a tough hike? Rescuers fear Yuppie 911

hosted ^ | Oct 25 | TRACIE CONE

[JoeProBono]

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Last month two men and their teenage sons tackled one of the world's most unforgiving summertime hikes: the Grand Canyon's parched and searing Royal Arch Loop. Along with bedrolls and freeze-dried food, the inexperienced backpackers carried a personal locator beacon - just in case.

In the span of three days, the group pushed the panic button three times, mobilizing helicopters for dangerous, lifesaving rescues inside the steep canyon walls.

What was that emergency? The water they had found to quench their thirst "tasted salty......"

[JoeProBono]

[HighlyOpinionated]

Let them win the Darwin awards.

Or charge them for the rescues.

Ignorance is not bliss, and it should be costly.

[ClearCase_guy]

Sometimes I think that people who ask for help should have napalm dropped on them.

[SIDENET]

When rescuers found them, the hikers were worried they might become dehydrated because the water they found tasted salty. They declined an evacuation, and the crew left water.

Charge these idiots for the rescues.

[joesjane]

This might actually spawn a new business that could contract rescue service for the locator beacon companies. I could see prior service SF guys starting up a service like that. I

[JoeProBono]

[gaijin]

My friend in Fresno (year Yosemite) says pals of his once responded to a guy who called for a helicopters because HE WAS TIRED.

And no, he was not lost.

[rawcatslyentist]

Thank G_d they still had chicken mc nuggets!

We might have had to have had a trillion $$$ bailout! Again!

[JoeProBono]

[Daffynition]

Up here in the mountains, they get charged.

Search and rescue is for accidents, not the unprepared!!!!

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

A Controversial New Hampshire Law That Charges Those Who Get Lost

[Daffynition]

LOL.......That is NOT a NH native! It is something that oozed and seeped over from Massachusetts.

[EDINVA]

“Or charge them for the rescues”

That was my thought. The Park Service should have hugh signs and signed agreements that rescue is available in emergencies only, and specify what is and what is not an emergency. The signers would hae to agree that if they call 911 in a non-emergency, they will pay the full costs of dispatching a rescue team.

[Viking2002]

Empirical evidence that, if or when a national or planetary disaster occurs, metrosexuals will be some of the first to perish, and probably quick.

[Stultis]

Seems odd they evacuated them after a third gratuitous call. Surely the park rangers knew of some place where the bodies could be hidden.

[JoeProBono]

[Viking2002]

EEEEEEEKK!!!!!!

[Squantos]

Yep. Take em to the bank for this stupid crap. That PLB ain’t room service.

[IYAS9YAS]

Empirical evidence that, if or when a national or planetary disaster occurs, metrosexuals will be some of the first to perish, and probably quick.

Them, and the idiots who drive around on their donut spares for months on end...

[driftdiver]

The really bad thing about this is if there are enough of these incidents the PLBs will probably get a lot more expensive or impossible to buy.

[Pan_Yan]

I’ve got to print this one out and take it to the other Boy Scout leaders tomorrow. If you haven’t contemplated cannibalism you aren’t in real trouble yet.

[Viking2002]

I bet you saw my wife driving down the road the other day, didn't you? LOL

[4Speed]

ping

[DemforBush]

"Last month two men and their teenage sons tackled one of the world's most unforgiving summertime hikes: the Grand Canyon's parched and searing Royal Arch Loop."

Evidence, I think, of just how far removed much of society has become from the realities of nature. These folks were likely in over their head from moment one. Royal Arch Loop is a very difficult trail, with plenty of hazards for even experienced hikers:

[Venturer]

I dunno, He looks like something that voted for McCain in the NH primary.

[2harddrive]

These people are selfish loser weaklings.

[Daffynition]

His rescue would be SOP.

[Spartan79]

The park service and other authorities do sometimes charge for rescues, but are conflicted about the policy. The possibility of a draconian charge (which can run easily into several thousand dollars) might cause some hikers who are truly in great peril to delay calling for assistance beyond the point where rescue is possible.

[Pan_Yan]

Best character on the show.

[JoeProBono]

[tpmintx]

As a survivor of the worst winter storm seen at Philmont Scout Ranch in 20-30 years, I believe that I know the difference between discomfort and danger. After several years of involvement with Boy Scouts, I also understand the need for preparation - both in knowing your route vs. your capabilities, as well as conditions vs. your equipment.

We were camping in the back-country in December 2007, when we had over 36” of snow dumped on us between 5PM and noon, and 50+MPH winds most of the night. We were not comfortable, but we were not in danger, because we were prepared for conditions. It took them 3-4 hours to clear 2 miles of road to get back to us. They asked us all to return to base camp, because they did not want to be responsible for keeping that road open. With 100+ scouts and adults in the back country, they needed to be able to ensure that they had the ability to evacuate emergencies. We were stuck at base camp for 3 days because all of the roads out were closed.

In the British Virgin Islands, they do not have governmental resources for search and rescue. There is a commercial operation that is paid for like insurance. VISAR will come save you if you have paid.

I hate to see our SAR services abused like this. “My latte is cold, I need a fresh one from Starbucks? IT IS AN EMERGENCY!!! I MEAN IT!”

We need some methodology for holding people accountable for their actions. Oh wait, 0bama is president. The only accountability now is from those who are able to those who are not. :(

[IYAS9YAS]

I bet you saw my wife driving down the road the other day, didn't you? LOL

Not sure, what's she drive? LOL.

I swear though, there are folks in my commute that I see nearly every day, and there was one car that had a donut for about three months.

The funniest thing I ever did see, though, was some idiot using four donuts to look "cool."

[Viking2002]

LOL As a corollary to that, when I first moved to Alabamastan about ten years ago, I had this one denizen of trailer park Utopia that used to buzz by me every day in a dilapidated Volkswagen Rabbit with twin chrome air horns mounted on the bumper, blowing the damn things at everyone in his way, and weaving in and out of traffic, doing 90 in a 65 zone. (I presume he was late for work at the local McDonald's French-fryer.) One morning, I hit a traffic slowdown, just to discover that Ernest T. Shitkicker tried to crash someone else's red light, and T-boned an Oldsmobile, doing sub-light speed. There was a horn on one side of the road, a horn on the other side of the road, and a Wabbit in the median that looked like it was a beer can that got squashed by a Kenworth. If Mullet Boy survived that one, I'm sure he was using his thumb to get around for quite a long time after that. Assuming that he cared that his license was revoked for Darwinin stupidity. LMAO