Barber, 38, reportedly was hiking through the park when she felt the urge to do a little rock climbing.
Halfway up the rocks, Barber got in a jam. As one who doesn’t like heights, I can imagine her fear – scared to go up, scared to come down, scared to move.Stuck. Fortunately, she could move her fingers just enough to use her cellphone. She dialed 911 and New Haven’s fire department rescue crew came. It took awhile for the rescue folks to get her down, using all kinds of equipment. Two of the rescuers received citations last week, with others who were involved reportedly expected to get citations later.
Meanwhile, Barber was given a $6,000 fine and charged with reckless endangerment for putting the rescuers in jeopardy.
I can see the temptation to recover the cost of a rescue, but I can’t help thinking somebody might take one risk too many to avoid getting touched for six grand.
I’m so glad this thing hasn’t come to Scotland yet. Our mountain rescue teams are run by volunteers and are phenomenal at what they do. For air support they are backed up by the Royal Air Force helicopters. Every now and again when there is a high profile rescue, people go on the news and say the state shouldn’t be funding these rescues and that everyone going out in the hills should have insurance. It’s a bad way to go though.
A lot of rescues can be handled by the mountain rescue teams without the aid of a helicopter, and often the victim is so thankful for being rescued that they donate as much as they can to the team that saved them.
I personally think mountain rescuers should be paid by the government like firemen or coastguards. People get themselves in all sorts of sticky situations when they are out enjoying their activities whether it’s climbing, motorbiking, sailing or flying and the state shouldn’t be differentiating who it’s OK to save for free and who has to pay.
I think the bill was overboard. $6000??
This was a fire department.
Did they use up a lot of equipment?
Did they have to pay a lot of overtime?
Or are they using the rescues as fund raisers?
And then a ticket on top of the bill? That’s just adding insult to injury.
The search and rescue here in MT. charge for their rescues too, but they get no government monies. And they don’t try to ream the rescued party. (my brother got rescued, so I know)
I like that the Search and Rescue is supported by donations and billing. I don’t need more taxes. (I do contribute, but when it’s not extorted it just doesn’t seem that bad).
I would support a SMALL tax as long as it was added to hunting/fishing licenses or something else outdoor related.
-How about a voluntary contribution on your taxes, and if you get rescued you don’t pay the rescue cost, but if you didn’t contribute you do.
There’s a way that all of us can fight the growth of rescue charges: We can volunteer for our local search and rescue units. At least 60% of the search and rescue responders in the U.S. are volunteers, and over 90% of the mountain and wilderness responders are volunteers. But all of these organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to attract new people.
Check out the two recent editions of The WildeBeat about search and rescue training, and the challenges and rewards of volunteering for a SAR unit:
http://www.wildebeat.net/index.cgi/2006/03/09#E032
http://www.wildebeat.net/index.cgi/2006/03/16#E033