***Breaking - Blackhawk Helicopter Crashes During Mt. Hood Climber Rescue!***

FOX News Channel - Breaking News | May 22, 2002 | FOX News Channel - Breaking News

[cousair]

I live in the Mt Hood area and we watched this horror going on all day. There were three groups of climbers who happened to meet up high on the mountain and decided to summit together. They were 800 ft from the top when the first two started to falter, fall, hit the next bunch who were tied together ( five I think) and then the last two. They all went down, a thousand feet or more into the cravase,which was 50 to 75ft. deep or so. Three died immediately, and the rest either critical or seriously hurt. When the copter went down, one man was thrown out, and the copter rolled over him. He is critical, the rest hurt, but all alive. These climbers risk the lives of many people when they climb the mountain, and usually this time of year when the snow is melting and the mountain is shifting. It DIDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN!!

[Justa]

Hey, I was up there last Friday evening and noticed the Fed.s had shut down an access road leading up the mountain on the N. side. I trekked up the path from the parking lot for an hour but didn't even make it out of the treeline. I passed some -serious- backpackers on their way down and they looked beat. Are there other access roads leading farther up the mountain? Any chance closing off the roads contributes to hiker accidents because they now have to start further down the mountain? Judging by some of the graffitti on the closure signs I'd say a few people are ticked off about the road closing(s).

[SkyPilot]

These climbers risk the lives of many people when they climb the mountain, and usually this time of year when the snow is melting and the mountain is shifting. It DIDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN!!

Absolutely! Hey, I am so happy all these adventure thrill seekers want to try to humble God by climbing His mountains, but do they have to make others pay for their foolishness?

[Valpal1]

I think that they should be required to provide proof of "rescue insurance". What, no insurance, no climbing permit.

I think people can engage in high-risk activity all they want, as long as they can afford the consequences of their risk taking.

I'm willing even to give out "no rescue" permits. You don't want to buy insurance, well then, don't expect a tax funded rescue operations.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Who gets to determine what activities are too dangerous to warrant help if you get in trouble? Should white water rafting be allowed? Sky diving? Pleasure boating? Hiking through the woods?

Simple. Require rescue insurance to be purchased. Just like driving a car, you are penalized if caught without the tag. Penalties would be comparable to hunting without a license. Hunters comply, and so could back-country hikers, rafters, mountain climbers, etc.

I like the notion that if you stick to established trails and navigable waterways when there are no weather alerts, you are fine.

Of course, the libertarian in me has concerns, but it can all be handled privately, as can enforcement.

[NC_Libertarian]

I think I tend to agree with you on that.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

bttt

[RedBloodedAmerican]

bttt

[RedBloodedAmerican]

bttt

[MeekOneGOP]

Wow ! Almost a year ago. Seems like only yesterday ! . . .