What if this situation had happened because of a plane crash, and the plane was covered with snow, but various people saw the SOS?

"We didn't know there was a plane" isn't a really good excuse, is it?

Fixing blame is not my point as much as questioning the thought processes of the people who should have followed certain procedures and didn't. My main question is WHY?

Do 911 dispatchers generally critique an emergency call and decide not to send help? Do they get a call where all they can hear is choking or gasping, and since they can't get a full explanation, they don't send anyone out? (Well, yes, they do, but they usually lose their jobs.)

Don't change the rules in the middle of the game.

Sue