Posted on 12/20/2006 2:29:43 PM PST by llevrok
Related Content Fight over mandatory beacons renews Story Published: Dec 20, 2006 at 11:08 AM PST
Story Updated: Dec 20, 2006 at 11:32 AM PST By Anita Kissee and KATU Web Staff Watch the video MOUNT HOOD, Ore. - As the rescue effort continues on Mount Hood, so do the costs, which some critics are saying is way too much.
Sheriff Joe Wampler with the Hood River County Sheriff's Office has said all along that he is not looking at the cost of the rescue, he is looking for the men. One of them, 48-year-old Kelly James, was found dead in a snow cave over the weekend. The two others, 37-year-old Brian Hall and 36-year-old Jerry Cooke, remain missing.
Rosie O'Donnell and her co-hosts kicked off 'The View' Tuesday with the hot topic of the missing climbers on Mount Hood.
Rosie O'Donnell: "I read in the papers that over $2.5 million the search has cost so far to find these three men."
Jacque Reid, Guest Co-Host: "Here they are, they knew the storm was coming and they still opted to go out and who should pay the cost?"
Rosie O'Donnell: "What warrants 27 helicopters and 1,000 people looking? I just don't understand."
Joy Behar: "Send this team over to New Orleans and fix that situation."
Wampler has poured his heart, soul and county's manpower into finding the three climbers and resents the implications that the money would be better spent helping Katrina victims.
"I just want to reach out and grab her neck," he said. "I mean, literally. This is not stupid money. This is important money. This is about people's lives."
At $6,500 a day, many may question the cost of the elaborate rescue effort, but Wampler said the bill is misleading. His crews would be working anyway and 90 percent of the rescuers are volunteers. It is not even costing the military extra money because the mission is being tagged as training.
"We can either spend our time in a simulator or a simulated environment or we can get the best experience in a real world situation like this," said Capt. Mike Braibish with the Oregon National Guard.
"As long as people are climbing mountains, there needs to be people to help them," said Darren Stone, owner of Climb Max.
Stone said that as long as climbers keep coming to Oregon, the state should keep catering to them.
"Kilamanjaro is the most climbed mountain, but more people get on top of Mount Hood," he said.
Economic numbers do not pinpoint how much climbers spend while visiting the mountain, but in general $800 million is spent in our forests every year.
On a side note, Oregon is one of just a few states that can make you pay for your own rescue if you are reckless, and even then it is only $500. The law is the result of three college students who got lost on Mount Hood in 1995, only to be found safe in a tent after $10,000 was spent to search for them. It has only been enforced one time - for a boater. We are told this case would not apply because the men were prepared.
That's good and fine but when did she start dating the youngest daughter of Cousin It? Legal age?
My MIL. :-( She loves these people.
I quite despise Rosie, but I basically agree with her.
These people were irresponsible. Doing something that is dangerous anyway and then doing it when they know things could be bad.
But more than the cost in money (which, may I remind you, is TAX DOLLARS and is exactly the same as paying out welfare, which supposedly conservatives despise), is the possible cost to really innocent life. Of those who are trying to find and rescue them.
If RESCUERS die because of this stupidity, it is asinine.
I'm rather sick of this blubbering over the "PERFECT STORM" situations. When a movie like that should've been called the "Perfect Greedy Selfish Thoughtless Idiots". Such men are NOT innocent; they should consider who else they might ultimately put in danger.
"We also keep a sharp eye on the weather and don't stretch the limits of what We know We're capable of doing. (including being properly equipped)
"If you're in to adventure sports, realize your friends and family are going to worry about you. Don't be selfish and take chances you know might cause your demise."
Bingo. You may do "risky sports" but you are aware of a) the risk of the sport and b) the extra risk of bad conditions.
I haven't really followed this story (never do follow much individual stories), but it sounds to me that even if they WERE well-prepared, they still unwisely disregarded the warnings.
Someone tried to say that the storm "hadn't hit yet" and was only a warning for a time when they "could've" been back.
Then she excuses them by saying that the 1 man "had an accident" (which now apparently he DIDN'T break anything) and couldn't have prepared for that.
Nonsense. These men are ALREADY participating in a naturally dangerous sport. Coupled with the fact they KNEW there were big-storm warnings for not-so-far-off, they should NOT have even bothered. Not to do a dangerous sport where they MIGHT get hurt anyway, and then are more likely to get STUCK in the storm!
Gator113 -- THANK YOU for your very uplifting post. You are exactly right. This is what makes this country great. Volunteers. Sacrifice. Doing the right thing.
I was so moved by the rescue attempts. Did they make a mistake going up? Maybe. Many climb in the winter. Do storms come in quickly, catching mountaineers by surprise? All the time. Do we just coldly leave people by the side of the road? Many in the Good Samaritan story did just that.
It's not about money spent, it is about valuing human life and service to others. Gator, I'm with you.
You're welcome.
Sorry about the typos' and this silly misspelling.
"human waist" should have read..."human waste"!
Maybe not. Steve Marlsberg said this AM that when her "wife" had a baby, Rosie made her stop breast feeding because she was jealous about the bond that was developing between mother and child. Then Rosie went out and bragged about putting on end to her spouses' motherly action. I didn't like Rosie before, but I know see her as despicable as a person can get.
Fortunately, in America, we allow for mistakes and sin. And put lives ahead of cost. It's one of many reasons why I'm so proud to be an American.
Well, I am not going to be a hypocrite. Since lard bottom Rosie said they weren't worth the rescue, I will say it absolutely was. Have a lousey Christmas Rosie, hope they don't mix you up with the wild boar that gets roasted!
I really feel for the kids she has. She's a sorry excuse for a human being.
She's just pissed that no man has ever been able to scale Mount Rosie.
Um, are you accounting for the possible costs in other lives put at risk just because of this foolishness that could have been reasoned to be avoided?
"the Perfect Storm", while sympathetic, is a perfect example of how some people ruined other "innocent" lives recklessly, never mind their own.
They closed down the search when it was determined to risk the lives of others. It's what Americans do.
OK, well I'm glad they have some concern about the people trying to find them.
LOL, I hadn't noticed that. A little photoshop leftover.
It wouldn't be too hard to spot Rosie on any mountain.Hell, she's about as big as one.
That's not what reports have said, including what I believe were attributed to the sheriff, which is that the men were prepared for the trip they planned. They were not prepared for the weather they ended being stuck in, that's for sure. As for letting people know what they were up to, they left two notes, and also made at least one phone call after they ran into trouble.
Hopefully these incidents serve as lessons for others- although it seems that people are only ever prepared for minor inconveniences.
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