Rescuing the Careless
Casino Danova. 14 August 2018
Question: Why should the general public foot the bill for rescuing irresponsible, reckless, adventure-seeking people? Those who go off on their own (in most cases) and risk getting stranded, seriously injured, or killed while mountain-climbing, hiking, snowmobiling, or boating? Why is there no mandatory short-term insurance policy required by outdoor aficionados? Insurance or an indemnity bond is required for a mortgage, your car, professional licensing, or anything that may involve some risk to self or others.
If involved in a rescue, a Coast Guard helicopter can cost as much as $7,500 per hour. The cost of a patrol boat is $1,200 an hour, not counting salaries and training expenses, which are always part of the job—military or civilian. The butterflies in our society say, “no, we should all foot the bill. These are our friends and neighbors. We should help one another.”
These are individuals in the upper brackets on the income scale who can afford the extra tax burden. At the other end, we find the poor, who don’t care since they don’t pay income taxes. Yes, there are some States that do require a ‘rescue card purchase,’ as in Colorado. But, that card only costs $3.00. Yeah, that’s going to cover about .0004% of a one-hour helicopter rescue. I’m sure you can guess who pays the rest?