Who pays for search and rescue operations?
A trio of snowboarders slide up to a steep drop-off at a desolate section of a Colorado mountain and notice a sign that reads “DANGER: NO RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY BEYOND THIS POINT.” They look at each other, fist bump and take off over the edge anyway. Hours later a rescue helicopter arrives to pick up the snowboarders who are struggling to survive in various stages of frostbite and injury. This scenario has become more common in recent years as adventurers seek to outdo one another. And it’s not just skiers and snowboarders. It’s climbers, hikers, campers, boaters, scuba divers, kayakers and even bird watchers. If there is an activity that involves the great outdoors, then there’s a potential for danger, accident and ultimately a need for res
