As a person who has done an S&R up there a few years back, I can attest to one thing; negligence SHOULD be fined.
Now, that being said, from what I understand, this child wasnt negligent. In fact, he did the most logical thing-sought out a high-visibility area when hurt.
But, the negligence stems from FAR too many rescues of idiots who hike in jeans, in winter, with a wool blanket, tarp, and 2 30-packs of beer for a weekend in the woods. Yes, this has happened. More than once, which led to the law currently being the way it is in NH. When the state calls in other agencies, in other states, to assist, even if they are volunteer agencies, it STILL costs them. My S&R group is autonomous, and supported 100% through donations. We all have our own gear, and are quite comfortable in the woods. We have been trained in search techniques in all kinds of terrain. We employ dogs, horses, ATVs, jeeps, and boats. This is all personal upkeep. The state usually picks up the bill for food, and provides temporary shelter (usually with the jhelp of the red cross). But, this pulls employees from their regular jobs, and creates OT for PD & FD personnel.
My personal opinion on this is this:
There should be a panel of experts-people in the S&R arena-to determine negligence. Not left up to lawyers & judges who possibly, at BEST, consider the "wild outdoors" a night spent on their porch, swatting mosquitoes. Sometimes negligence is correct; IMHO, this is not one of those times.