Hammer's post:
And this incident as well as a more recent hiking mishap have me asking, who SHOULD pay for these rescues?
State and local officials say that those who are negligent and irresponsible should foot the bill for their rescue costs. It appears that this is meant to deter people from being so careless. But where is the line?
Vermont has a state law, often quoted, that states when a skier/rider uses a ski area to access backcountry locations, and becomes lost or is not prepared, and is in need of a rescue, then he/she is liable for the costs.
New Hampshire has a same law that applies to hikers, as discussed with the April incident resulting in a $25,000 bill to the 18-year old hiker.
Some say that such harsh laws deter people from calling for help until it is too late. Others say that people need to smarten up and not put others at risk.
So what would you do? What rule would you write and why? Would there be situations when the general public should pay for a rescue?
Have you been rescued?
And what can we do to prevent such rescues in the first place?
I'm all for going after irresponsible hikers (the Eagle Scout rescue is a case in point), but I've been thinking about what would be considered "reasonable and prudent" preparations for a hike (or whatever the standard is). While I believe I've always been prepared on hikes I've gone on, I really don't know if I've met the "official" standard.
And this incident as well as a more recent hiking mishap have me asking, who SHOULD pay for these rescues?
State and local officials say that those who are negligent and irresponsible should foot the bill for their rescue costs. It appears that this is meant to deter people from being so careless. But where is the line?
Vermont has a state law, often quoted, that states when a skier/rider uses a ski area to access backcountry locations, and becomes lost or is not prepared, and is in need of a rescue, then he/she is liable for the costs.
New Hampshire has a same law that applies to hikers, as discussed with the April incident resulting in a $25,000 bill to the 18-year old hiker.
Some say that such harsh laws deter people from calling for help until it is too late. Others say that people need to smarten up and not put others at risk.
So what would you do? What rule would you write and why? Would there be situations when the general public should pay for a rescue?
Have you been rescued?
And what can we do to prevent such rescues in the first place?