Dear Editor:
Cypress, Search and Rescue and or the Province of B.C. absolutely must start charging both fines and billing for time to rescue out of bounds skiers. I’m a skier and mountain biker. I was taken off a recognized legal trail on Mount Fromme at no charge but did pay for the ambulance ride.
People who willfully ski out of bounds, get stuck and need to get rescued need to be held accountable and accept responsibility for their selfish choices. If they put themselves in a life-threatening situation due to bad choices and then decide not to call to avoid paying for their rescue, they deserve their fate.
I used to live and mountain bike in the Kootenays in the 1980s. My friends and I did a day trip that turned into an overnight trip. By the time we got out of the forest and to a phone, the helicopter pilot for the search to look for us was about to push the start button and if he had we would have paid the $250 minimum machine time for that search. One of our group worked for the forest service and his call went through their office.
NSR says these people are 30-year-old males who know better. That’s right, they do know better. They know they can put themselves and their rescuers in life threatening situations with little to no financial repercussions or responsibilities at all. The ski area boundaries are meaningless to them, so start charging them.
If you are riding in a legal area and you get lost or hurt, that should be covered. But if you choose to go out of bounds or into an area with any type of seasonal or other closure, you should be charged whatever it costs for your rescue. Grow up, people.
David Eades
Port Moody
Editor’s note: North Shore Rescue’s steadfast position is stated clearly on its website: mountain skills and safety education is the way to go, not fines and charges. “We do not support charging for rescue under any circumstances. Any delay in a call for help puts the subject and our members at greater risk. Any additional unnecessary risk in our line of work is unacceptable. You will not find a SAR professional who supports charging for rescue in B.C.” Read more at northshorerescue.com.
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