Hiking Rescues Cost New Hampshire Lots of Money

By Jim on February 24th, 2008

The Boston Globe has an interesting story about how much it is costing New Hampshire Fish and Game to rescue people lost in the White Mountains:

From 2004 to the end of 2007, the state spent more than $1 million and devoted about 14,900 hours to rescue 725 people, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. Of those victims, 28 percent were rescued in 2007.

Last fiscal year, the department spent more than $257,000 on rescue operations and for the first time ended the year with a deficit in its search and rescue account.

State officials and local mountaineers in part blame a growing class of novice adventurers, many of whom gain false confidence from new GPS devices, cellphones, and flashy gear from proliferating outdoor stores such as REI and Eastern Mountain Sports.

Although I am not usually in favor of new fees, taxes, etc. I do support lowering the threshold to compel people to pay for their rescue. The NH House seems to be moving in this direction:

The New Hampshire House is considering a bill that would change the language of a 1999 state law that allows public agencies to recoup expenses from those who “recklessly or intentionally create a situation requiring an emergency response.”

“People doing dumb things have to be held accountable,” said Dennis Abbott, chairman of the New Hampshire House’s Fish and Game Committee, which will vote on the bill in coming weeks. “They’re not just putting themselves in harm’s way. They’re putting a lot of other people in harm’s way, and there needs to be some responsibility.”

The proposed new language, which Abbott expects will become law this spring, would lower the threshold for the public to compel repayment. The bill changes the language of the law from “recklessly” to “negligently” prompting an emergency response. For those who don’t pay, the bill would allow the state to suspend the person’s driver’s license and other state licenses.

The difference, he and others said, is that “reckless” implies someone who becomes aware of a substantial risk and consciously disregards that risk; a “negligent” person is someone who fails to become aware of the risk that a reasonable person should have been aware of.

It is much harder to prove someone was reckless. For example, Bogardus and other officers said it would be much easier to make the case that Laurence Frederickson, 55, of South Sutton, N.H., and James Osborne, 36, of Manchester, N.H., were negligent when they set out on a 9-mile hike on Feb. 11 along the Franconia Ridge Loop without emergency gear, such as a protective bivouac to survive subzero nights and sudden whiteouts, despite a poor weather forecast. They eventually ran into a wall of snow, wind, and subzero temperatures, which left Frederickson dead and Osborne suffering hypothermia and severe frostbite. Like the other searches, the rescue cost the state thousands of dollars.

“They were certainly not fully prepared for an emergency situation, and when an emergency situation came about, they did not have adequate gear to help them survive,” Bogardus said. “They failed in proper planning, in not assessing weather patterns.”

While accidents do happen, you can minimize your risk of getting into a dangerous situation while hiking by visiting the Hike Safe site. There’s a lot of great information there so please bookmark the site and return to it when you begin planning your hike.

From the site:

Hiker Responsibility Code

You are responsible for yourself, so be prepared:

1. With knowledge and gear. Become self reliant by learning about the terrain, conditions, local weather and your equipment before you start.

2. To leave your plans. Tell someone where you are going, the trails you are hiking, when you will return and your emergency plans.

3. To stay together. When you start as a group, hike as a group, end as a group. Pace your hike to the slowest person.

4. To turn back. Weather changes quickly in the mountains. Fatigue and unexpected conditions can also affect your hike. Know your limitations and when to postpone your hike. The mountains will be there another day.

5. For emergencies. Even if you are headed out for just an hour, an injury, severe weather or a wrong turn could become life threatening. Don’t assume you will be rescued; know how to rescue yourself.

6. To share the hiker code with others.

hikeSafe: It’s Your Responsibility.
The Hiker Responsibility Code was developed and is endorsed by the White Mountain National Forest and New Hampshire Fish and Game.