The article doesn’t mention any details. Was the hiker just a loser with a can of Coke for hydration or was he a legit outdoorsman who got messed up? Did he have his essential survival gear? Did he have a map and compass but the wind blew the map away?
Could be a lot of things.
Regardless, if people had to pay for the ‘tow’ they would at least buy insurance, or have a healthy saving account.
Here’s one with better details. Party of four. Three took skis up to the summit. Our victim was to solo descend on crampons. Got bad weather.