Here We Go Again.....

[thetrailboss]

...as they should.

 

[thetrailboss]

Another version of the article.

As a fellow Eagle Scout, this is why I am critical of him:

But authorities say he wasn't prepared for the conditions he encountered and shouldn't have set out on such an ambitious hike.

He put other people's lives at risk.

The fact that he sent the rescue agencies $1,000 means something.

 

[thetrailboss]

The Boston Newschannel Story and comments.

 

[hammer]

If he can't pay the $25K for the rescue then at least he should be required to read the following book (photo from the AMC store):

I also think he should give a presentation to his current/former Bay Scout troop on what to do and not to do on this type of outing.

And what about the Boy Scout motto? :roll:

 

[thetrailboss]

If he can't pay the $25K for the rescue then at least he should be required to read the following book (photo from the AMC store):

I also think he should give a presentation to his current/former Bay Scout troop on what to do and not to do on this type of outing.

And what about the Boy Scout motto? :roll:

+ 1. I think we should have a broader discussion about rescues and the cost....

 

[hammer]

Looks like NH is going after the rescue costs on this one:

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/20088488/detail.html

And they have now dropped that:

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/23099471/detail.html

I just hope he learned his lesson.

 

[thetrailboss]

At the time officials praised him for using his Boy Scout skills to stay alive, but criticized him for being unprepared for treacherous spring conditions.

Sounds like an oxymoron there. The BSA motto is "Be Prepared." He wasn't and was actually cocky about it. He puts Eagle Scouts like me to shame.

 

[thetrailboss]

Bump.

Similar situation in this case: http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=13475767#

An old guy dubbed "Poppa Neutrino" got some folks to help him build a homemade raft. He, two of his friends, and three dogs set out on Lake Champlain yesterday in a Nor'Easter that made 6' waves on Lake Champlain to circumnavigate the globe. :blink:

They got into trouble on the rough waters and anchored their boat to ride out the weather. Well, the line snapped and they were thrown into cliffs on the shoreline. They called for help. Watch the video. Two firefighters repelled down a 30' cliff risking their lives for these guys. The raft was destroyed but everyone is OK. The rescue was dangerous, the fire department lost $3,000 of equipment in the rescue, including rescue ropes destroyed by leaking gasoline from the raft. A slew of gas and trash are in the lake from the raft.

So I ask you, should these folks have to pay for the rescue including the choppers and manhours spent saving them?

 

[TheBEast]

Bump.
So I ask you, should these folks have to pay for the rescue including the choppers and manhours spent saving them?

They totally should pay. What the F**K were they thinking? Circumnavigate the world in a raft starting in Lake Champlain in November? STUPIDITY AT ITS BEST!!

 

[deadheadskier]

What if someone with a 60K, 24 foot Searay had an engine die and they encountered the same situation washing up shore and having their boat get smashed on the rocks?

or even something more benign. Their boat dies in the middle of the lake on a beautiful sunny day and the coast guard has to tow them in to the tune of a few hundred bucks.

There are boaters out there who can handle 6 foot chop better than novices can handle flat water. There are hikers who can handle Mt. Everest better than others can handle a nature trail.

I don't like the idea of passing judgment on who should pay or who shouldn't. Either everyone pays for rescues or no one pays. I side with the latter.

 

[TheBEast]

In my opinion this case (the boat one) is just pure recklessness.

 

[deadheadskier]

On a similar note concerning 'sailing around the world'; I wonder if Abby Sunderland had to pay for her rescue? Just because she was well trained and had stellar equipment doesn't change the results and cost of rescue. She I'm sure cost the same, if not more to resuce due to the size of her boat than the Lake Champlain bozos would have cost had they reached the ocean and needed to be rescued.

 

[deadheadskier]

In my opinion this case (the boat one) is just pure recklessness.

and my argument is that it's not right to pass judgment because there isn't a pure defined line between recklessness and calculated risk.

 

[riverc0il]

and my argument is that it's not right to pass judgment because there isn't a pure defined line between recklessness and calculated risk.

I agree that caution is warranted when it comes to passing judgment on this types of events. It could only too easily be ourselves looking like the fool from someone else's arm chair someday. No one sets out to do something thinking "this is pretty reckless and I might be a candidate for a Darwin Award but..."

That said, even though there is no objective defined line between recklessness and calculated risk, there can be consensus of opinion from an overwhelming majority of people, particularly those that are most knowledgeable with calculated risks.

To suggest you can't call something reckless because there is no defined objective line between reckless and calculated risk suggests that the word reckless has no place in our language because it can not be defined. Recklessness can be defined by overwhelming consensus of opinion, especially weighted by those most knowledgeable in the given field.

All that said, I do this we need to be careful with what we label reckless. But the label should be trucked out so an example can be made of folks that are reckless so that perhaps others can learn and not get into a similar situation. Not to beat a dead horse, but no one goes about doing things thinking that they are being reckless. It is only through learning that judgmental reflex that many people keep themselves out of trouble.

 

[thetrailboss]

A follow-up to the rafting story. Looks like they got the first bill for $2,400. More coming I'm sure since the raft is polluting Lake Champlain with gas.

http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=13743453

 

[Nick]

This 17-year old was planning on doing a 17 mile hike over all the Presi's before returning to Pinkham Notch base in one day. He clearly had no idea what he was doing....and is still missing. Crews are looking for him and have been since Sunday.

http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=10257100

Not sure if someone from the AMC advised him to reconsider.

Hope he is OK but seriously folks please use some common sense before attempting things like this and putting rescuer's lives on the line.

Scary. I did my first (and only) president's peak hike in 2000. We went up Pinkham notch and spent the night there. The next day we hiked over Mt. Washington and continued over to Mt. Jefferson (I think?) We had intended to go further but started getting exhausted, so we cut down the Six Husband's trail (not expecting it to be so steep and camped overnight at the bottom of that.

The next day we finished the walk back to Pinkham Notch. We were all completely, utterly wiped out from the hike, and in retrospect had probably gone further than we should have.