SAR sues the people they rescued....

[Mrs Baggins]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/30...est=latestnews

Many of the comments after the article blame the SAR people, a "So what if you got hurt? You took the risk to rescue people." Then it seems to me that the people that have to BE rescued also "took the risk. You got lost, you got hurt, that's your fault and your problem." As for the comments that believe all SAR people are paid to take the risks...I have a good friend here in Maryland who is in SAR and she doesn't get paid a single dime. Nothing. The whole team is volunteers.

[RED-DOG]

If a person travels in to the Wilderness and needs to be RESCUED they should have to pay for their own Rescue.

[Nutbrown]

Most SAR teams are volunteers. If you get injured in normal life, you pay. I don't see why you wouldn't have to pay for a rescue. A helicopter ride to the hospital costs minimum $2000. A complicated rescue in the wilderness shouldn't be free.

[Rain Man]

There's no good "simple-minded" answer to this question. If my house catches fire, should I have to pay the firemen? On the other hand, if I set my house on fire, should I get the service for free?

If the life guard grabs my child out of the surf, should I pay the lifeguard if he (or she) is injured in the process? What if I stop to help deliver a child born on the side of a road and injure myself?

Plainly, the only thing one-size-fits-all rule is that there is no one-size-fits-all rule.

RainMan

.

[Rasty]

There's no good "simple-minded" answer to this question. If my house catches fire, should I have to pay the firemen? On the other hand, if I set my house on fire, should I get the service for free?

If the life guard grabs my child out of the surf, should I pay the lifeguard if he (or she) is injured in the process? What if I stop to help deliver a child born on the side of a road and injure myself?

Plainly, the only thing one-size-fits-all rule is that there is no one-size-fits-all rule.

RainMan

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Would assumption of risk apply to a volunteer searcher getting injured?

[fizz3499]

I think it should depend on the situation. If the person needing rescue was clearly negligent, I think they should be held responsible. However things can go wrong no matter how careful you are, or what your skill level is. Any one could get bitten by a snake or have unexpected weather put them in danger and find themselves in need of rescue. I think in life very few things are black and white and more often then not there is not one right answer.

[Rasty]

In a society that puts value in social safety nets such as government assistance why would tripping and falling on a trail be a billable item. Getting lost is just a byproduct of being poorly educated. Tripping is truly just an accident. I have a problem with charging someone for a helicopter ride after becoming injured or requiring rescue insurance unless the "State" is going to hold all responsible for their actions.

[Grampie]

If folks who call for rescue were not properly prepaired and equipted to do what they were doing than they should be charged for rescue. With the use of cell phones today folks who are not prepaired find it easy to just call 911.

[Nutbrown]

But you pay for any medical service... Ambulance - $500. If you refuse transport, you can still expect a bill for the oxygen that you received.

Taxes pay for the firefighters and police.

[Marta]

To inject a little reality into the discussion...suing someone, even if you win, does not mean you will actually recover one single cent from the other party. The only ones who will make money this whole mess are the lawyers who are being paid to press the suits. Are a couple of teenaged meth heads going to come up with $160,000 for the state and $350,000 for the injured person? While spending the next three years in jail? Do you think the kids were covered by a liability policy so that an insurance company will cough up the money?

Throwing good money after bad.

[Rasty]

If folks who call for rescue were not properly prepaired and equipted to do what they were doing than they should be charged for rescue. With the use of cell phones today folks who are not prepaired find it easy to just call 911.

Devils advocate response - Your walking 1 mile to a waterfall with a camera and a water bottle and slip and break a ankle. Should you be charged to a rescue?

[Grampie]

If you are going to use the undeveloped out-doors than you should be prepaired. Everyone who does should learn some emergency first aid and how to use it. What is happening in the cell phone era is that folks call 911 when it's just a simple sprain or are just too tiard to continue on.

[BZ853]

Devils advocate response - Your walking 1 mile to a waterfall with a camera and a water bottle and slip and break a ankle. Should you be charged to a rescue?

Yes, you are choosing to have a service (being rescued) performed for you.

[Rain Man]

To inject a little reality into the discussion... The only ones who will make money this whole mess are the lawyers who are being paid to press the suits.

Sorry, but you took reality out of the discussion. Lawyers often DO NOT "make money" when they represent the little guy, who has no money to pay them. What you repeated is an insurance industry campaign myth.

RainMan

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[rickb]

I still believe in a society where we look to take care of each other.

Will there be a situation where I'd agree that a bill be sent? Sure. But not a a general rule.


People make mistakes. We still reach out to them.


The person who is fat, rides a bike without a helmet, or practices unsafe sex is not denied public benefits (yet) because they made unwise choices.


Why should we be so quick to deny them to a person who needs help in the wilderness?


Our society's commitment to rescue the needy serves a greater purpose than just to the individual in need of help.


It is a statement of what we value as a community, and helps make us a community.


I don't think those values should always be for sale.

[illabelle]

I still believe in a society where we look to take care of each other.

Will there be a situation where I'd agree that a bill be sent? Sure. But not a a general rule.


People make mistakes. We still reach out to them.


The person who is fat, rides a bike without a helmet, or practices unsafe sex is not denied public benefits (yet) because they made unwise choices.


Why should we be so quick to deny them to a person who needs help in the wilderness?


Our society's commitment to rescue the needy serves a greater purpose than just to the individual in need of help.


It is a statement of what we value as a community, and helps make us a community.


I don't think those values should always be for sale.

very good response!

[jj2044]

People make mistakes. We still reach out to them.

The person who is fat, rides a bike without a helmet, or practices unsafe sex is not denied public benefits (yet) because they made unwise choices. .

You bring up a lot of good points... but I think we have almost over done it in our society , there would be far less people on public benefits (welfare, section 8 housing, food stamps) if we made people more accountable for their actions. go down to a welfare office and see how many women that have 3 or 4 kids at 20-22, never had a job, have no interest in finding a job. watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpY_YG4kNhs ..... if I'm a meth head and go out in the woods and do something stupid, and break my legs I should be held accountable. I'm not saying we should leave them out there or anything lol, but if you don't hold people personally accountable for there actions, no one ever learns and the cycle just continues, which is where we heading in America today.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Sorry, but you took reality out of the discussion. Lawyers often DO NOT "make money" when they represent the little guy, who has no money to pay them. What you repeated is an insurance industry campaign myth.

RainMan

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Agreed, I would be willing to bet that this sort of thing is usually handled on behalf of the S&R team by an overworked, salaried Town or County attorney.

[illabelle]

You bring up a lot of good points... but I think we have almost over done it in our society , there would be far less people on public benefits (welfare, section 8 housing, food stamps) if we made people more accountable for their actions. go down to a welfare office and see how many women that have 3 or 4 kids at 20-22, never had a job, have no interest in finding a job. watch this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpY_YG4kNhs ..... if I'm a meth head and go out in the woods and do something stupid, and break my legs I should be held accountable. I'm not saying we should leave them out there or anything lol, but if you don't hold people personally accountable for there actions, no one ever learns and the cycle just continues, which is where we heading in America today.

Agreed. But let's start with the people in the video.

There will always be people who have accidents or make mistakes of judgment in the wilderness, but at least they're out there. I'm pretty sure that's a good thing. How many children represented by the families in the video ever set foot on a trail? How might their self-concept be transformed by some wilderness experience? Even a dayhike can open a person's eyes, expand their mind, and increase their sense of self-reliance.

[jj2044]

Agreed. But let's start with the people in the video.

There will always be people who have accidents or make mistakes of judgment in the wilderness, but at least they're out there. I'm pretty sure that's a good thing. How many children represented by the families in the video ever set foot on a trail? How might their self-concept be transformed by some wilderness experience? Even a dayhike can open a person's eyes, expand their mind, and increase their sense of self-reliance.

I agree 100%,... I just think there is a difference between making a mistake and doing something reckless, like Meth. I love seeing people out on the trails, but I don't want to see someone that is reckless or puts others in danger.