Unknown Helicopter winches rock stranded divers - Scotland

[rjack321]

Yeah you should brush up then. Give a ring to Classic Air in western Colorado or Vernal and see what they charge for putting their chopper up and pulling you out. Basic SAR is free, but air rescue is most certainly not.

Annnnndddd.... where and why is SAR lifting divers in Western Colorado or Utah?

 

[coldwaterglutton]

Annnnndddd.... where and why is SAR lifting divers in Western Colorado or Utah?

Who said anything about it being diver-specific? I didn't. It was a general comment on cost/implications of getting yourself in a situation where rescue is required, as did the OP's case of these 3 lunkheads in a rhib who went out in storm conditions.

I wish we could criminally charge some of the folks who exercise extreme stupidity and get lost in the mountains in winter. The SAR team puts its own life at risk on these rescues and where sheer recklessness or disregard of risks is at the root of the incident there should be consequences.

 

[LI-er]

They were charged with reckless conduct not charged a fee for the rescue.

 

[Scared Silly]

They were charged with reckless conduct not charged a fee for the rescue.

Though rare, in the US the same can happen. Further, if guilty the perps can be both fined and charged for the rescue.

In the west, you get charged the cost of a rescue which can be $50,000 if they bring out a chopper. Usually doesn't matter if it's your fault or not, rescue = cost. So you buy a fishing license for $10 which includes one free rescue.

Yeah you should brush up then. Give a ring to Classic Air in western Colorado or Vernal and see what they charge for putting their chopper up and pulling you out. Basic SAR is free, and the helicopter operator donates hours to the SAR team for search, but if they pull you out the air rescue is most certainly not free. You'd be impressed by the bill

You are conflating SAR and an air ambulance. Classic Air is an air ambulance service not SAR. Air ambulances not associated with a hospital charge up the wazzo.

Further you are mistaken about Colorado fishing and hunting licenses. 25 cents of the cost goes into the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue (CORSAR) fund. That is all.

I wish we could criminally charge some of the folks who exercise extreme stupidity and get lost in the mountains in winter. The SAR team puts its own life at risk on these rescues and where sheer recklessness or disregard of risks is at the root of the incident there should be consequences.

No need to criminally charge. In general, people requiring SAR should be charged for their rescue. It is called personal responsibility. Many speciously claim that if people are charged, they would not call for a rescue until the situation was dire. Europe charges. But if people were responsible they would carry rescue insurance. Most people in Europe carry such insurance. DAN covers basic evacuation costs not just for dive incidents.

 

[DandyDon]

DAN covers basic rescue costs not just for dive incidents.

I'd like to see a link to that coverage.

 

[Scared Silly]

I'd like to see a link to that coverage.

DAN membership includes automatic enrollment in DAN TravelAssist®. Emergency Medical Transportation and Travel Assistance Benefits are available for both diving and non-diving emergencies, with an aggregate benefit limit for Regular Membership up to $150,000 ($100,000 for residents of NY) and an aggregate benefit limit for Enhanced Membership up to $500,000. Enhanced Membership not available for residents of NY.

DAN Membership Benefit Comparison

Emergency Medical Transportation and Travel Assistance Benefits Provided while on a Trip: Regular MembershipAggregate Benefit Limit $150,000 Maximum Amount Enhanced MembershipAggregate Benefit Limit $500,000 Maximum Amount Emergency Evacuation and Medically […]

dan.org

Note: I should not have used the term rescue but evacuation. Correct in my original post.

 

[DandyDon]

DAN covers basic evacuation costs not just for dive incidents.

That's not even similar to DAN's TravelerAssist.

Note: I should not have used the term rescue but evacuation.

Right.

 

[DandyDon]

Divers rescued from Gantocks now face police charges - DNG Online Limited

THREE divers who were rescued from the Gantock Rocks after they got into difficulty during stormy weather last month have now been charged by police. The divers, who haven’t been named, were charged with culpable and reckless conduct after they were airlifted to safety from the Gantock Rocks on...

www.argyllbute24.co.uk

 

[Russjstewart]

An interesting problem, the argument that charging people for being rescued either financially or with criminal charges for being stupid enough to put themselves at risk would result in people not calling for help is valid. On the other hand going out in conditions that an RNLI lifeboat crew describes as “challenging” beggars belief.

Their actions have put a lifeboat crew and a helicopter crew at risk. It has diverted rescue resources that may have been needed elsewhere and incurred costs, both to the Volunteer RNLI who are not government funded and the taxpayer funded CoastGuard helicopter.

What is not mentioned in the article was the events leading up to this rescue. Where the divers warned against going out, are the serial offenders having been rescued from their own stupidity before. We don’t know what the weather forecast was for that day, was the weather forecast to be that bad. I would suggest that if the answers to any of those questions is yes then criminal charges may produce a salutary lesson for them and others

 

[rjack321]

Their actions have put a lifeboat crew and a helicopter crew at risk. It has diverted rescue resources that may have been needed elsewhere and incurred costs, both to the Volunteer RNLI who are not government funded and the taxpayer funded CoastGuard helicopter.

We have nothing comparable to the RNLI here but our Coast Guard would almost for sure not charge these blokes. They fly in conditions worse than this for training. This rescue is not "dumb enough"

Source: nephew has been a rescue swimmer on helos for 15 years.