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There was a news piece in the paper the other day about the ignorant and unprepared calling for rescue when things get uncomfortable. They called it Yuppie 911. With Gps trackers and cell phones, folks seem to think that they can go anywhere whether they know what they are doing or not and someone will come to their rescue.

I think people like that should be charged for the cost of their comfort, if not an actual bill, then a fine.

I have mixed feelings about state's charging for rescues. If the person is so negligent that they should pay for the rescue, then maybe that person shouldn't be out in the wilderness in the first place. Some people should stay home and when they don't, why should the rest of the people pay for their stupidity? But, I understand the argument against it -- a person might not ask for help, or the family might not request assistance, if they know they might have to pay for it, and that could be a fatal decision.

What happens in Colorado when you need help, do they ask if you're a card holder? If not, do they just leave you there? I know they don't, I'm just being sarcastic.

Personally, I think the cost of rescues should be a budgetary item that is funded from other sources, like entrance fees to parks, etc. but there should always be room to charge a person who is just so totally negligent that they should be held liable for the costs.

Good question about the card - never had anybody ask (of course I haven't needed to be rescued. But liability is really the issue. Did somebody do something stupid or were they unprepared? Or was there a legitimate reason for being rescued (such as bad weather or falling down a slope)? That's a hard call to make. Mike, I agree back country rescues should be a line item for emergency services agencies. Still, there ought to be a way to recoup some of the costs, especially when the hiker was clearly in the wrong.

I've seen people doing dumb things on the trail many times. They go out without water or food, unprepared for cold or wet weather, not wearing boots, starting out late in the day...you name it and somebody does it. As one of the Blue Collar Comedy Show comedians said, "You can't fix stupid."

I read the article about Yuppie 911. People like that have no business off the sidewalk. I, personally, think ill prepared people probably should be charged/fined if they are negligent. It's a tough call.

I agree with westernchef, there's no cure for 'stupid'. And it seems to abound. I've heard several accounts lately on public radio about the potential charging of recipients of rescue services. I personally think it should somehow be geared to circumstances. If a person is a victim of truly unpredictable or unforeseen circumstances they should be rescued free of charge. Freak storms have occurred. Forest fires spring up. Etc, etc. On the other hand if someone gets themselves in a situation simply due to 'stupid' or lack of sensible preparation, or ignoring warnings and things like that, they should pay. Makes sense to me. Bill

I know Alaska has had a policy like this for Denali for years. I too have mixed feelings. On the one hand people that do stupid things should really pay for their rescue, on the other accidents can happen. Yuppie 911 is a phenomena that we have created, instant anything, including rescue. People also don't carry the ten essentials or hike prepared for the unpredictable happening. 50 years ago (a little before my time of climbing and hiking) rescues could involve days, today it can be just hours. As the time decreases, cost increases. Where do we draw the line?
Harry

This is exactly the reason why I have joined organized groups that go hiking. Never alone. Otherwise I would be calling for the rescue team. Better safe than sorry. Besides, I am not that brave. But I think irresponsible hikers should have to pay for their rescue.

I think the rescue costs have to be passed on the the persons rescued as much as possible. I too read both the article Westernchef posted and the Yupple 911 article that I saw last week. Even at low altitude one helicopter may cost about $5k for a short rescue. A horse packer may get you out for a few hundred dollars. However, not many helicopters can fly at high altitude and I think Denver, Salt Lake City and a few other places have some but the price goes up astronomically if you start spending hours looking for someone with multiple aircraft. Agencies have little or no budget for this and taxpayers are reluctant for what many see a self-induced danger. People usually are rescued for free if they unexpectedly end up in a forest fire. But on the Appalachian Trail I have seen hikers ignore "trail closed due to fires" warnings.

I noticed that more of the trailhead information boards now apprise people that they may be responsible for the costs of rescue.

The phenomenon of ultra light packing leaves people with no extra margin when it comes to food or gear. Also many people like to be on the edge of safety like when at home watching a horror or action movie but when they encounter that experience for real they panic when you cannot stop it by hitting the light switch.

I think if it's a real emergency and not due to the negligence, stupidity and ignorance of the hiker, then no there shouldn't be a ridiculous charge of $25,000. If, on the other hand, it is clear that an individual or individuals are abusing the system and are clearly at fault, then yes, I think there should be a fine, and $25,000 dollars sounds like a nice round figure.

These operations are very costly and can be extremely hazardous to the rescue workers. These resources should not be taken lightly. And given the current state of the economy, states simply can't afford to rescue so many people each year who are just plain stupid!

It could be hard to draw the line of where stupidity starts. Say a person leaves a picnic in the woods and expects to find their way back in a few minutes, but gets lost. Or a slightly mentally challenged person gets separated from a group. To be fair, there would need to be a system for deciding who pays and who doesn't. One person's stupidity is another person's innocence.