I am not sure that is true. First of all, once again, we are all relying on second hand reports filtered through the media, and none of us has any really decent information.

I can say that the only time in my SAR experience when I was truly in genuine peril was 100 feet down in a crumbling mine shaft in which each twitch of the rope brought down cascading rocks. The bottom of a mine shaft doesn't offer much cover.

We were fortunate because our victims had actually driven their station wagon over the edge and it was upright at the bottom. We could enter the vehicle and stand upright, sheltered by the tailgate. The glass window in the gate was completely shattered by the time we left. I definitely contemplated death down there at the bottom of the shaft and I thought at least I was going to go out doing something worthwhile.

I would tend to agree with the decision. It doesn't seem like there is any realistic hope of retrieving the victim alive. How much risk should one assume to retrieve a cadaver?