4 ms·

Incredible service. Is there a payment required for rescue services? For instance, does the Coast Guard charge the six people rescued when the boat sank?

by pgrote 7y ago

linsomniac 7y ago
The answer is that it depends on many things including state and locality, type of rescue needed, and what you are doing and what permits or licenses you are doing it under. In Colorado there are rescue activities covered by having hunting licenses, Off Highway Vehicle permits, and a "Search and Rescue" card, which create a fund that covers costs of some types of search and rescue activities. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dola/node/98966 https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dola/node/98966
wbl 7y ago
Not on the sea. By old and ancient tradition all who sail come in aid to their brothers in need.
- 7952 7y ago
  Although salvage laws do allow a reward for recovery of property.
  - nexuist 7y ago
    There's a funny story from the 80s in which a cargo ship crew was awarded an exorbitant sum of money from the Royal Navy when one of their Harrier pilots got disoriented and, running out of fuel, chose to land on a van parked on the deck of the ship...
    - iudqnolq 7y ago
      Wow! Thanks for sharing this. For others who found that interesting and wanted to know more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alraigo_incident https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alraigo_incident
      - jlgaddis 7y ago
        I found a picture as well: https://web.archive.org/web/20160513222453im_/http://forces.tv/sites/default/files/styles/cover_image/public/Royal-Navy-Sea-Harrier-Alraigo-Incident-%28Att%29-Cropped.jpg?itok=lEKPQkBZ https://web.archive.org/web/20160513222453im_/http://forces....
      - nexuist 7y ago
        Oop, thank you! I was planning on including the link (had the page open when I was writing the comment) but I guess I forgot, haha. That's the one.
- glitcher 7y ago
  Off topic, but this reminded me of the stark contrast between this and my state's "stupid motorist law" > any motorist who becomes stranded after driving around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway may be charged for the cost of their rescue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupid_Motorist_Law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupid_Motorist_Law
  - hanniabu 7y ago
    That sounds reasonable to me.
TallGuyShort 7y ago
I was rescued by the coast guard after my boat had a catastrophic failure and wasn't charged, but they ensured they were my last option. I had paid for a boat tow service and the refused to pick me up (labor dispute), and I was left to drift until after dark, just in case the private service changed their mind. And that's fair - my point is only that it may be free, but they're not just handing it out either.
tjohns 7y ago
In most places in the US, rescue is free as long as it's legitimate and you weren't being completely reckless. They may chose to charge for false alarms, or if you did something that was completely and unambiguously boneheaded (e.g. the person who called for help three different times on the same trip for trivial comfort issues). But they usually prefer not to charge, since it would deter people from calling from help in a real emergency. Rules very from state to state though. And outside the US, having to pay for rescue is more common.

Incredible service. Is there a payment required for rescue services? For instance, does the Coast Guard charge the six people rescued when the boat sank?

by pgrote 7y ago

Incredible service. Is there a payment required for rescue services? For instance, does the Coast Guard charge the six people rescued when the boat sank?

linsomniac 7y ago

The answer is that it depends on many things including state and locality, type of rescue needed, and what you are doing and what permits or licenses you are doing it under. In Colorado there are rescue activities covered by having hunting licenses, Off Highway Vehicle permits, and a "Search and Rescue" card, which create a fund that covers costs of some types of search and rescue activities. https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dola/node/98966 https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dola/node/98966

wbl 7y ago

Not on the sea. By old and ancient tradition all who sail come in aid to their brothers in need.

7952 7y ago
Although salvage laws do allow a reward for recovery of property.
- nexuist 7y ago
  There's a funny story from the 80s in which a cargo ship crew was awarded an exorbitant sum of money from the Royal Navy when one of their Harrier pilots got disoriented and, running out of fuel, chose to land on a van parked on the deck of the ship...
  - iudqnolq 7y ago
    Wow! Thanks for sharing this. For others who found that interesting and wanted to know more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alraigo_incident https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alraigo_incident
    - jlgaddis 7y ago
      I found a picture as well: https://web.archive.org/web/20160513222453im_/http://forces.tv/sites/default/files/styles/cover_image/public/Royal-Navy-Sea-Harrier-Alraigo-Incident-%28Att%29-Cropped.jpg?itok=lEKPQkBZ https://web.archive.org/web/20160513222453im_/http://forces....
    - nexuist 7y ago
      Oop, thank you! I was planning on including the link (had the page open when I was writing the comment) but I guess I forgot, haha. That's the one.
glitcher 7y ago
Off topic, but this reminded me of the stark contrast between this and my state's "stupid motorist law" > any motorist who becomes stranded after driving around barricades to enter a flooded stretch of roadway may be charged for the cost of their rescue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupid_Motorist_Law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stupid_Motorist_Law
- hanniabu 7y ago
  That sounds reasonable to me.

TallGuyShort 7y ago

I was rescued by the coast guard after my boat had a catastrophic failure and wasn't charged, but they ensured they were my last option. I had paid for a boat tow service and the refused to pick me up (labor dispute), and I was left to drift until after dark, just in case the private service changed their mind. And that's fair - my point is only that it may be free, but they're not just handing it out either.

tjohns 7y ago

In most places in the US, rescue is free as long as it's legitimate and you weren't being completely reckless. They may chose to charge for false alarms, or if you did something that was completely and unambiguously boneheaded (e.g. the person who called for help three different times on the same trip for trivial comfort issues). But they usually prefer not to charge, since it would deter people from calling from help in a real emergency. Rules very from state to state though. And outside the US, having to pay for rescue is more common.