A few months ago STR member "T2" went off of a cliff in the San Gabs and had to be Helicoptered out. I was not with him but when I got the news I was with a buddie of mine who's a San Bernardino Sheriff. He told me as so long as it's the Sheriffs Dept. that rescues him there should be no charge. Sure enough he was rescued by the Sheriff's Dept. and hasn't received a bill.
Who pays the bill has much to do about the activity that caused the rescue. Some states (like Arizona) there are laws that if the activity is reckless, illegal or just plan irresponsible they would have to pay.
I think the Easter Bunny should pay!! He got those crazy kids looking for Easter eggs; what kids won't do for that golden egg!!
3 hikers found after being lost for 3 days up on San Gorgornio and no mention of them fighting off tigers, being eaten by pythons or having to eat dirt. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/07/3-hikers-missing-in-san-bernardino-mountains/
Gorgoinio is tall, it is a bit early to be traveling at 12,000ft...... Ewww I bet that is a great downhill Happy studded tire trails
County to pursue new law on rescue costs Proposal would allow recovery of expenses for saving people who disregard their own safety. SANTA ANA • Orange County’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to propose state legislation that would allow counties and cities to recover the costs of search and rescue efforts for people who put themselves in peril through their own illegal or reckless acts. The proposal comes a week after the supervisors decided not to seek restitution for more than $160,000 in rescue costs from Nicolas Cendoya, the lost hiker who was later charged with drug possession. The four-day search garnered national media attention and required more than 1,900 man-hours before rescuers found Kyndall Jack, 18, and Cendoya, 19, who walked into the wilderness near Holy Jim Canyon on Easter Sunday, March 31. Supervisor Todd Spitzer said he plans to attend Cendoya’s scheduled arraignment on Wednesday with a volunteer rescuer who was injured during the search. Spitzer said he is advising the volunteer rescuer, whom he declined to identify, in an effort to seek restitution for medical expenses as a victim under Marsy’s Law. The legislation that the county plans to pursue in Sacramento is modeled on an earlier law on rescue costs that was allowed to sunset in 1999. The proposed language approved by the supervisors on Tuesday provides that a person 16 years of age or older can be billed for the actual costs of a search and rescue if it requires “the use of extraordinary methods” and the person acts in violation of federal, state or local law or “shows wanton and reckless misconduct in disregard for his or her safety.” The law, as proposed by the supervisors, wouldn’t apply to people deemed by the rescuing county or city to be unable to pay. Assemblyman Don Wagner, R-Irvine, has agreed to carry a bill. Separately, the supervisors voted to delay adopting a recommended budget for the fiscal year that begins in July until they hold hearings next month. That’s because the recommended budget proposed by county staff last week is already obsolete. It was printed before an Orange County judge ruled the county can’t keep $73.5 million in annual revenue it had been counting on. While the supervisors already have voted to appeal Superior Court Judge Robert Moss’s ruling, which came in a dispute between the county and the state over the funds, they have also signaled their intent to cut the disputed money out of next year’s budget. The county budget staff is working on a plan to rebalance the budget after excising the disputed $73.5 million, which amounts to more than 10 percent of the county’s unrestricted annual revenue.
As ridiculous as it seems that they would not be charged anything for all the efforts put into the "rescue", it seems just as ridiculous to slap a 19y.o. stoner with a bill of more than $160,000. Any time I've had to call 911, (more than once due to severe asthma attacks) even if my hospital expenses were covered, I'd get a bill for $800-$1200 for the ambulance. They should definitely be getting 1 or 2 bills in the mail.
In the city of Orange if you pay an optional $6 on your water bill, which comes every other month, it covers all Paramedic ambulance costs.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=9112614 SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- A volunteer seriously hurt during the rescue of two hikers in Trabuco Canyon wants to recover thousands of dollars in medical bills. The volunteer, identified as Nick Papageorge's IV, broke his back during the search for Nicolas Cendoya, 19, and Kyndall Jack, 18, in April. Cendoya appeared in court to face a charge of possession of methamphetamine. Authorities say they found meth in his car during the search-and-rescue operation. The arraignment hearing was continued to July 12. Papageorge's was in court with his father at Cendoya's hearing to ask a judge for restitution, calling themselves victims of a crime. The family alleges that Cendoya's drug use was reckless and led to the search effort, which led to Papageorge's being injured. The 20-year-old volunteer said he fell 110 feet, bouncing two times off rocks, and broke his back. "I have two titanium rods on either side of my spine with 11 screws," Papageorge's said, holding up an X-ray of his back. His medical bills add up to $350,000, and his insurance will only cover a portion of it, according to an attorney. A judge will decide whether there's a connection between Cendoya's alleged drug use and the injuries suffered by Papageorge's.
What if you get hurt in Orange and live outside the city and don't pay the $6. Do they then send you a bill? What we are talking about is “shows wanton and reckless misconduct in disregard for his or her safety.” Could that verbiage be expanding to include MTBing? I think many that don't MTB would say yes, the counter argument is than MTB is a very popular sport and have fewer injuries and snow skiing. Now if you are on a non-system trail they have a good argument to go after rescue fees. What if they start testing people for the presence of drugs/alcohol after a rescue?
I look at it this way: If you are/aren't under the influence while riding, skiing etc. I have no problem being tested if I get hurt or lost. Just as I have no problem being g searched, x-rayed or felt up before boarding a plane - I want to know I'm safe and I have nothing to hide!! Just as I had my severe allergic reaction while out running I'm glad to have medical personal available to save my life ... I'm paying for their services now and it ain't cheap!!
The problem about testing is that drug testing does not test for the psycho-active (parent) drug they test for the inert metabolite...meaning testing labs test for what the liver turns the parent drug into to be able to further process the drug for elimination. Reason is after first pass very little of the parent drug remains, it takes about 1 minute for all the blood in your body to be circulated. After a the blood passes thru the liver a couple of times no parent drug is left. For drug testing purposes it is hard to establish if the person is actually under the influence at the time of testing or they had use days before. The reality is that whether or not you are under the influence the positive test will be used against you even if you had smoke pot 10 days earlier. This is a current hot issue in the courts as they are prosecuting more driving under the influence drugs (DUID) cases. To get the real deal they need to take blood and forced blood tests have recently been ruled un-constitutional.
It's such a different world we live in now Steppie, when the constitution was written. All I'm saying is: being alive is inherently dangerous. We do activities that are risky and/or dangerous and if the day comes you need them whether intentional or not it makes sense to me to be tested if you should get the entire bill or not IMHO.
