I feel sorry for the climbers and hope the remaining two are successfully rescued. It sounds like they were better prepared and experienced than normal idiots.

However, I feel that the families/friends/survivors who requested the rescue should be billed for the costs. UNLESS this is a normally taxpayer funded operation (e.g., like a town fire department - your taxes pay for them, not individual bills for those who actually have fires), or the climbers had some kind of "insurance" (e.g., here in Colorado when you buy a fishing license, a certain protion of that fee - which is mandatory - goes for "rescue insurance"). But barring these caviots, you put the burden of survival on yourself when you undertake any activity. If you ask for help with no previous arrangements to cover the cost of that help, you should be responsible for paying for it.

I do not agree that people should be forced to buy or rent personal locators. In many situations it might be stupid not to. But you can't legislate something to stop stupidity. If the lack of locators causes the SAR folks to have to search for 3 extra days, then the cost billed should reflect that extra search time. If SAR folks are injured/killed while trying to help, then that should be covered the same way as anybody else you contracted for work. If you hire someone to put your TV antenna on the roof and they fall off, even if because of their own error, it's YOUR insurance that will be footing the bill. Or you may even be sued. Heck, people are being sued by burglars who injure themselves while trying to break into your house!