3 ms·

Yes, especially if the service calls a helicopter. The criticism against these is they've become so common that people either get overconfident and hike out be

Yes, especially if the service calls a helicopter. The criticism against these is they've become so common that people either get overconfident and hike out beyond their abilities, or people call for help on minor issues like they didn't pack enough water or they get a headache.

kbaker 6y ago
Actually, I think that only in cases where you showed extreme lack of preparedness will you get a bill. Most SAR organizations really don't want to have someone not call them because of the cost. Or worse, delay calling them and end up with a more time-critical or more dangerous rescue situation. https://www.facebook.com/NoChargeforRescue/ https://www.facebook.com/NoChargeforRescue/
jointpdf 6y ago
Corroborating the sister comment here—you are unlikely to be charged unless you do something grossly negligent—something like ignoring explicit warnings not to climb Mt. Whitney in adverse conditions and going unpermitted. I can’t speak for what the policies are worldwide, but at least in the US (in particular California), you are very unlikely to be charged for the rescue services (medical costs are a different story). Usually the county is responsible for the SAR operation, which is typically carried out by volunteers. If you’re in a National Park, then it’s NPS. Again, they could fine you, but my understanding is that this is rare. Volunteers will even come looking for you for years after you’ve disappeared (https://www.climbing.com/people/vanished-the-mysterious-disappearance-of-a-climber-in-the-sierra-nevada/ https://www.climbing.com/people/vanished-the-mysterious-disa...). Anecdote: I knew a (European) PCT hiker who was airlifted out of the Sierra. They were diabetic and had suffered a cut that for a healthy person would have been non-threatening. They were not charged anything. It would have been a shame if they hesitated due to fear of getting slapped with a bill. Old but useful threads (and great forums in general—the HNs of backcountry travel): https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/14464/ https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/14464/ http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=8938 http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=893... > The vast majority of searches I have been on have no medical component whatsoever - in fact, none of the searches in the past several years, whether I have been on them or not, have involved medical intervention. A few have involved finding remains, which allow families closure and to make claims on life insurance - a community service that makes creeping through manzanita picking up bone shards worthwhile. If my family was depending on the income from life insurance and I vanished - I'd hope search teams found what was left of me. Some searches are related to law enforcement activities and locate evidence. Some searches are urban, and locate Alzheimer's sufferers or small children lost in town. None of them costs anyone a dime, and we don't appreciate the perpetuation of the myth that anyone is charged because we don't want to see anyone delay getting help when it's clear someone is missing.” > ”Which is why our search team has never and will never charge anything. We are a self supporting nonprofit organization. We buy our own gear, pay for our own training, and raise the funds to replace team gear. I just wrote a grant proposal to get us new gps units and will shortly submit another. Madera, Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo and other counties are all independent agencies, nonprofits, and do not charge a cent.”

kbaker 6y ago

Actually, I think that only in cases where you showed extreme lack of preparedness will you get a bill. Most SAR organizations really don't want to have someone not call them because of the cost. Or worse, delay calling them and end up with a more time-critical or more dangerous rescue situation. https://www.facebook.com/NoChargeforRescue/ https://www.facebook.com/NoChargeforRescue/

jointpdf 6y ago

Corroborating the sister comment here—you are unlikely to be charged unless you do something grossly negligent—something like ignoring explicit warnings not to climb Mt. Whitney in adverse conditions and going unpermitted. I can’t speak for what the policies are worldwide, but at least in the US (in particular California), you are very unlikely to be charged for the rescue services (medical costs are a different story). Usually the county is responsible for the SAR operation, which is typically carried out by volunteers. If you’re in a National Park, then it’s NPS. Again, they could fine you, but my understanding is that this is rare. Volunteers will even come looking for you for years after you’ve disappeared (https://www.climbing.com/people/vanished-the-mysterious-disappearance-of-a-climber-in-the-sierra-nevada/ https://www.climbing.com/people/vanished-the-mysterious-disa...). Anecdote: I knew a (European) PCT hiker who was airlifted out of the Sierra. They were diabetic and had suffered a cut that for a healthy person would have been non-threatening. They were not charged anything. It would have been a shame if they hesitated due to fear of getting slapped with a bill. Old but useful threads (and great forums in general—the HNs of backcountry travel): https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/14464/ https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/14464/ http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=8938 http://www.highsierratopix.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=893... > The vast majority of searches I have been on have no medical component whatsoever - in fact, none of the searches in the past several years, whether I have been on them or not, have involved medical intervention. A few have involved finding remains, which allow families closure and to make claims on life insurance - a community service that makes creeping through manzanita picking up bone shards worthwhile. If my family was depending on the income from life insurance and I vanished - I'd hope search teams found what was left of me. Some searches are related to law enforcement activities and locate evidence. Some searches are urban, and locate Alzheimer's sufferers or small children lost in town. None of them costs anyone a dime, and we don't appreciate the perpetuation of the myth that anyone is charged because we don't want to see anyone delay getting help when it's clear someone is missing.” > ”Which is why our search team has never and will never charge anything. We are a self supporting nonprofit organization. We buy our own gear, pay for our own training, and raise the funds to replace team gear. I just wrote a grant proposal to get us new gps units and will shortly submit another. Madera, Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo and other counties are all independent agencies, nonprofits, and do not charge a cent.”