Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
$750 isn’t much if your life depends on it. People take more risks because they know there’s a safety net.
“the prospect of payment could prompt people to delay seeking needed aid, possibly making a dangerous situation worse.”
It also prompts people to delay seeking UNneeded aid, preventing putting rescuers in danger. Sending a team at high speed into rank wilderness is dangerous.
Most of these remote areas have a very limited population and an even more limited tax base to do these things gratis. If you are going to do these high adventure activities in remote areas, buy some damn supplemental insurance or have your own rescue team standing by.
defining “recklessness”. that’s the crux of the issue.
walking in the gubmint’s pristine nature reserve and breaking your ankle?
or playing X Games participant in your trick-out Jeep?
Perhaps if people are aware that it will cost them money to be rescued from the error of their ways they will take prudent and reasonable steps to protect themselves from becoming a victim. Duh!!!
Now, hold muh beer and watch this...
$750 PROBABLY WOULDN’T EVEN COVER THE FUEL COSTS! She should pay it and be thanking God she’s still alive to do so! The taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for her stupidity and reckless behavior.....
Generally people fund rescue services through taxes. By charging fees the services are really raising taxes. In California if a Fire Department ambulance shows up a fire truck and rescue vehicle appears. The poor soul unfortunate to get such “service’ foots the bill for the additional vehicles and personel. The cover story is they do not know whether or not the fire truck and emergency vehicle may not be needed. Such “reasoning” does not cover my elderly neighbor who has every emergency vehicle appear at his house while his son holds the door open.
If you plan to go into the mountains or back country in Colorado, SERIOUSLY consider the CORSAR card. It is only $3 for one year and covers any search and rescue costs. If you have a current hunting or fishing license, you are covered as well.
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/DOLA-Main/CBON/1251592090523
You put your and other people lives in danger you should pay! I believe that if you go into the wilderness then you should have to put up a bond to cover you in case they have to rescue you!
Generally people fund rescue services through taxes. By charging fees the services are really raising taxes. In California if a Fire Department ambulance shows up a fire truck and rescue vehicle appears. The poor soul unfortunate to get such “service’ foots the bill for the additional vehicles and personel. The cover story is they do not know whether or not the fire truck and emergency vehicle may not be needed. Such “reasoning” does not cover my elderly neighbor who has every emergency vehicle appear at his house while his son holds the door open. He is simply an elderly diabetic having blood sugar problems of unknown origin.
I struggle with whether these fees are appropriate. If there is money in the state or county budget for rescue that is paid for by all taxpayers, then why are these fees being assessed? There is a danger that this is yet another way to feed money to the government. And it makes people wary of calling the police or emergency response for help, especially if they have no idea what the bill is going to be. If the response team has an efficient budget and is not loading outrageous salary, overtime or other costs onto the person being rescued, and if part of the cost is being paid by the taxpayer so the person being rescued isn’t paying the full burden, I could go along with this. But my suspicion is that this is just another way to feed more money to the government for wasteful spending on other things.
Bout time...As an X CG Sar person I can relate.
people that do stupid hi risk thrill stuff and fail should defiantly be billed for xtreem amounts because the rescuers risk there lives and some time die doing it.
The thrill seeker in the later scenario should be charged in some way with the death.....
Alaskans live far from medical care, boaters go to sea in dangerous conditions, and people on their death bed take cruises - - - and then they call the Coast Guard when things go south. Rescuers put their lives on the line and boatloads of tax payer dollars fuel up and maintain the helos - and the Coast Guard only charges if illegal activities were involved.
Maybe, if people had to pay to be rescued, they would think twice before living remotely or stupidly.
$750...she got off cheap.
She got off cheap. Dying alone under an atv would have been free.
If you go in the wilderness and you get lost, the taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for it.
Unless there was like an unforeseen change in the weather or some mitigating circumstance that kept you from making it home.
This comes with the territory. When you leave civilization behind, you’re responsible for your own well-being and knowing what the laws are. Particularly when you may be in need of rescue.
Back in early 90’s Sieera Club offered inexpensive insurance for people using National Parks/desert areas.
If i remember correctly cost was 65.00 for length of trip, covered medical extraction search and rescue.
Even back then people did not take insurance to cover their possible expenses.
as an aside- I had this information from a friend involved with sierra club.
He ussually took vacations in out of the way places out west. He always carried the insurance