$15,000?

That was a charge for how many hours of effort to find the skiers?

What would a multi-day search cost?

While I understand the idea behind recouping some of the expenses of a rescue from the person that initiated it, I'm going to go ahead and wave my right (want, need, expectation?) of a rescue.

I'll save myself, or die trying.

On the bright side, if this becomes common practice throughout the country I'll be saving money by not having to buy a PLB. Then again, if those skiers had one, the cost might not have been near what it was.