Current situation in the United States
Whether skiing, sailing, or simply hiking in the wilderness for a day without a map, ensuring the safety of outdoor enthusiasts is an extremely challenging task. In the U.S., every time a hiker gets into trouble and is rescued, many people’s emotions shift from worry and anxiety to relief. However, once everyone calms down, if the hiker endangered themselves intentionally or through ignorance, controversy arises: who should foot the bill for the rescue?
National Parks: The government pays, except for rule-breakers
In the U.S., whether an endangered hiker has to pay for the rescue depends on the specific circumstances, such as where and when the incident occurred. If the accident happens in any U.S. national park, the government covers the rescue costs. According to statistics, the U.S. National Park Service spends nearly $5 million annually on search and rescue operations, not including the hundreds of thousands of hours of manpower involved in the searches.
However, if the person seeking help violates national park regulations, such as entering a restricted area, the government will not cover the rescue costs. Often, rescue operations are extremely costly and are considered a “money-losing business” for the National Park Service.
High-risk areas: Register and pay first — too dangerous, may not be rescued
At Mount McKinley (Denali) in Denali National Park, Alaska, a series of hiker accidents that drew widespread public criticism occurred. In response, the park management established a new rule in 1995: climbers attempting to reach the 6,100-meter summit of Mount McKinley must register with the park management and pay a $200 fee.
Although some believe that setting a clear price might send the wrong signal, the park management argues that the safety of park rangers should come first, so they may choose not to carry out a rescue if it is too dangerous.
Park ranger Darryl Miller said: “We don’t guarantee a rescue here. Our motto is: your danger is not necessarily our danger.”
U.S. Coast Guard: Rescue at all costs, except for false alarms
The situation is similar for the U.S. Coast Guard. Even if you insist on canoeing in the Atlantic Ocean during a tornado, the Coast Guard will still dispatch an 110-foot patrol boat (costing $1,147 per hour) or a C-130 turboprop aircraft (costing $7,600 per hour) to rescue you. Even if you end up being seen as a fool or a cautionary tale on how to avoid danger, you won’t have to pay a cent.
Of course, if you go out to sea on a yacht on a sunny day but run out of fuel, the Coast Guard won’t bring you back to shore — they’ll just give you the contact information of a towing company. The Coast Guard will only step in to tow your boat back to shore if all other options fail.
In fact, there is only one situation where the Coast Guard will ask for rescue fees, and that’s when the person rescued made a false emergency report.
Charges
United States: Eight states charge rule-breakers
In the U.S., traditionally, outdoor rescue operations, like police and fire rescues, are free and covered by the government. However, due to public dissatisfaction over some high-cost rescue incidents, eight states have passed laws allowing charges for those seeking rescue. But in most states, including California and Idaho, the laws stipulate that charges are usually aimed at those who put themselves in danger through negligence or deliberate rule-breaking, such as entering prohibited areas. A well-known example in New Hampshire: a Boy Scout strayed from the designated trail during a hike, sprained his ankle, and needed rescue. Later, the state government cited a 1999 law allowing charges for rescues and fined the boy’s family $25,000.
Europe: Insurance companies must share the cost
In many countries, the main party sharing the rescue cost is insurance companies. Buying insurance is the method most outdoor enthusiasts think of to transfer risk and responsibility. Foreign insurance companies offer “specialty insurance” for high-risk activities such as mountaineering, skiing, water sports, and aerial sports.
In most European countries, in most cases, everyone is responsible for their own actions. Moreover, many hikers often purchase accident insurance before setting off, so when a rescue is needed in an emergency, the insurance company may eventually cover the rescue costs.
Controversy
There is still considerable controversy surrounding charging those seeking rescue for rescue operations.
What constitutes “negligence”?
For example, what kind of situations count as “negligence” can sometimes be hard to define, because even experienced outdoor enthusiasts, no matter how well-prepared and cautious, can still get injured unexpectedly. Moreover, the public’s understanding of “risk” is clearly different from that of rescue teams.
Who pays for unnecessary rescues?
Sometimes authorities launch large-scale rescues under completely unnecessary circumstances — should the rescued party pay for it? For example, an experienced mountaineer goes exploring in the wild but gets delayed for some reason. His family, worried, calls for help, resulting in a large-scale overnight rescue mission.
Rescue organizations in Europe and America
Type 1: Civilian rescue organizations
In addition to government rescue organizations, Western countries such as Europe and the United States also have civilian rescue organizations and volunteer groups for public rescue in independent exploration. These groups are often spontaneously formed by outdoor sports enthusiasts and enthusiastic members of the public. Funding comes from multiple sources, including portions of fees from outdoor activity permits, social sponsorships, government grants, and insurance, among others.
Type 2: The American Rescue Association
Established in 1950, the American Rescue Association is a national organization with chapters in every state. Each state chapter operates multiple rescue centers, which typically consist of two departments: one is the administrative department, whose main task is to seek social funding and sponsorships; the other is the technical department, primarily responsible for conducting rescues at accident sites. Each rescue center has dozens of volunteers, with one on duty each day. When a distress call is received, the on-duty staff usually notifies around 25 volunteers, requiring at least 10 of them to arrive at the scene to assist in the rescue.
The American Rescue Association is operationally overseen by local police departments, and the emergency contact number is also 911. As part of the social security system, the association enjoys numerous preferential policies: the offices of the rescue association and its centers are provided by the government, and the purchase of vehicles and equipment by the association is tax-exempt; the departments where rescue volunteers are employed must offer unconditional support without deducting their salaries.
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