December is one of the safer months to attempt Hood from the north. Better
ice, less rock fall.
And you are required by law on that climb to have either a cell phone
or a PLB.

Maybe they had both.

You couldn't carry enough gear to insure your safety when doing that type of climb. Having a PLB may do no good if rescuers can't
survive trying getting to you or if you are buried in an avalanche and
can't set it off.

And having a PLB may be calling some rescuer to their death. Some climbers want to get themselves out of trouble and want nothing to do
with rescue parties.

You may argue that mountaineering itself is foolish. I would hope you
wouldn't say it should be illegal.

The climbers should know the risks and make their own decisions (as should the searchers, they are not conscripts either, most are volunteers who also do similar climbs, if not, they shouldn't be there trying to help).

The bottom line is the weather there can be bad enough that one can't
survive in the open no matter your gear. There are objective hazards
and subjective hazards in mountaineering. You can't control the
objective ones.