Reply To: Climber injured on Yam

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May 16, 2016 at 08:36 #13118

We are so are lucky to have such a stellar backyard to play in, but doubly lucky to have the amazing guys with the Kananaskis Public Safety Section (and Parks Canada too!).

Every time someone needs help out in the mountains, it often isn’t long before some members of the general public start to wonder, “who pays for the rescue?”. My usual response is that as a member of a functioning society I am willing to have my taxes & park fees pay for rescue & care of my fellow humans who are injured in any number of events (regardless of whether errors in judgement were made) such as car crashes, hiking accidents, and even those whose unhealthly lifestyles result in massive health care bills. Early rescues are more effective, less costly, and most importantly they are safer for the rescuers than those that are delayed by people in distress trying to avoid the potential cost of a rescue.

Here is an article by the American Alpine Club that explores the costs of park rescues, and the conclusion was that while climbing rescues often can be dramatic, they account for a small fraction of the rescue costs compared to other park users.