"Spot" or not, PLB works for hiker in Alaska

[BlueFly]

"A distress call from a backcountry hiker in northern Alaska led to a long distance rescue over the weekend, spanning more than 3,000 miles, the Alaska State Troopers reported Saturday.

It began when a personal locator beacon control center in Texas received a call for help Friday from a transmitter registered to an Australian named David Roberts. According to the GPS signal, Roberts was in an isolated area of the Brooks Range."

Sounds like the guy may have been a little embarrassed by the rescue, or perhaps just gave a face-saving explanation for his mayday. Better safe than sorry, though.

More here...

[Co-opski]

More on this from the local news.

http://newsminer.com/news/2008/dec/0...ebuked-rescue/

“It felt like he was being rewarded for stupidity,” Klaes said on Monday, three days after Roberts was rescued by helicopter from an isolated area in the Brooks Range by the Alaska Air National Guard. “He got a free hotel room with a Jacuzzi tub, free meals, a free rescue.

[cowboy4x4]

they should have taken back their radio when he said he was ok and then left him there $60,000.00 wasted that we have to pay for, what a jerk.

[grahamfitter]

If one has a PLB or a SPOT and needs to be rescued, who pays for the rescue?

Cheers,
Graham

[DH2002]

They really need to start charging people for BS rescues legitimet rescues no problem but this is crap

[Tucson T4R]

If one has a PLB or a SPOT and needs to be rescued, who pays for the rescue?

Cheers,
Graham

In the US at least, unless there are extenuating circumstances, rescue costs are normal covered by the search and rescue teams providing the service.

I have not heard of people being billed for the cost of rescue in the US. I have no idea how that is managed outside the US. Based on the insurance option, I assume there are many areas where the cost for a rescue would fall on the party being rescued.

[ntsqd]

I have heard & read of it (billing the party rescued) being threatened. Whether it was followed through with or not I do not know.

[Co-opski]

In the US at least, unless there are extenuating circumstances, rescue costs are normal covered by the search and rescue teams providing the service.

I have not heard of people being billed for the cost of rescue in the US. I have no idea how that is managed outside the US. Based on the insurance option, I assume there are many areas where the cost for a rescue would fall on the party being rescued.

I agree with the system as we have it. I would rather have SAR organizations funded better than they are and their services free to those in need.

The American Alpine Club offers a global rescue service (insurance?).

Members receive:
Global Rescue Service
The American Alpine Journal
Accidents in North American Mountaineering
Hut discounts

[Clark White]

I can't talk about any specific SAR cases, but you would probably be disgusted by the number of false or stupid SAR cases we get. Far more often then not we are sent out to look for some boater who got drunk, a sailor who didn't check the weather and sailed straight into a hurricane, or some teenagers setting off flairs on the beach in place of fireworks. Rarely do we fly for someone who has the proper equipment, stayed sober, and just got unlucky.

However, don't take my disgust too literally. The few good SAR cases we get are well worth the drunks and kids, and I would rather fly on any number of needless SAR's then guess wrong and not fly on a good one.

Clark

[John E]

there's something to be said for helping those who are apparently unable to fend for themselves.

Regardless of the patient/victim's reason why that got in the situation, SAR, like EMS, is there to help, not to pass judgement. I've seen my share of patients that got sick and/or injured through their own mis-judgement, that just means that they need our help even more.