I join the discussion late, but I advocate Sue's sentiments.

I've been beaten about the head and neck on this forum in the past for posting similar opinions about people and their responsibility for their own actions. Seems on a regular basis we are seeing posts of events where someone did not prepare adequately for a given endeavor. Seems these people figure that if things go bad, someone will be there to come bail them out of their troubles. It seems that the same mistakes get made repeatedly at much the same locations, under much the same conditions, by people regarded as "experts", who nonetheless head up the hill, or down the trail, or wherever they want to go, and make at least one poor decision that bites them in the backside.

That these experts are now in a bad way and suffering (yet again) is tragic or at least sad in that it was needless, and compounded by the stress being put on the would-be rescuers, family and friends of those missing, and the finances allocated to the effort to save these people. Any who die in this event are candidates for the Darwin Award to be sure. They all deserve an honorable mention at the least.

The premise of our advocacy here is that people need to be equipped to survive the situations they place themselves into. While I long to be compassionate on the matter, I have no problem pointing out that not being properly equipped is not only ill advised, but inexusable, as no one is being forced to climb any mountain, hike any trail, run any rapids, or jump from any airplane, at least not without the opportunity to properly prepare for such events. Doing so is no different than driving down the road at night without your headlights on, or not using the safety on a firearm. There's no good excuse, and anyone who would do such a thing is a fool, or just plain stupid; too stupid perhaps to be allowed the privilege any longer.

My compassion for such individuals if further diminished when such foolish acts are undertaken without due consideration of the consequences for others. My compassion approaches non-existent when I am the one who has to continually pay a price for repeated foolish events without any due benefit on my part.

Life is fragile, and we've managed to mitigate in time many of the challenges that made life a lot more difficult than it is today. That is not to say we shouldn't challenge ourselves in other ways, as this is what helps keep us healthy. Making something difficult doesn't mean you have to intentionally introduce risk into an equation where it is not needed. Variables can be introduced that provide for adventure, challenge, and reward without incorporating a greater than ambient likelihood of danger.

If we can gather anything positive from this experience, as with it's myriad predecessors, let us then refer to it as an example of a situation all of us should endeavor to avoid.