This is a case where the rescued man should receive an invoice for the rescue. I compare this case to an ambulance trip I had to take a few years ago. I received an invoice for about $1,200, plus a medical bill. It was an unavoidable emergency and did not involve a helicopter. This guy marched into the woods without reasonable preparation and could have avoided the difficult rescue. How is the guy in this case more worthy of having his bill excused? He's not.

The rescuers should get paid from both invoice payments and tax dollars. I include tax dollars only because there's no way this type of rescue service can be maintained with invoice payments alone.

It has always confused me how some people seem to think the money for a rescue service appears magically. In this economy, if a community has enough money to keep alive this expensive rescue service, then there has got to be misplaced funds in a budget somewhere.