Originally Posted By: bws48
IMO, it is helpful the take a look at the actions of the folks involved before deciding if they should be “charged.”
For example:
Did they violate any regulations that they knew about or should have known about? And/or
Did they take “unreasonable” risks, or fail to take “reasonable” precautions for the activities they were engaged in? Or,
Did they take “reasonable” precautions and care, but still were the victims of “bad luck.”
Every rescue lies somewhere on this spectrum. At one end, IMO they should be charged; at the other, no. In the middle, it is debatable.
The problem is that these things are always a judgement call. Who gets to decide what is a reasonable risk? Who decides what are reasonable precautions? For example some people think virtually ANY mountaineering is crazy dangerous. Often the officials who would have to make these judgements are totally ignorant about these activities.

Personally I don't think people should be charged for rescue except perhaps in the most outstandingly egregious cases.
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