Taxpayers Pay Millions for Rescues
By Jonathan D. Salant
The federal government spends millions of dollars a year to rescue capsized boaters,
stranded hikers and injured campers but doesn’t seek reimbursement--even from people whose
own risk-taking puts them in danger.
In Michigan, where at least 95 ice fishermen have been rescued from lakes in one area
alone this winter, lawmakers are considering charging for rescues of people who were reckless or
ignored warnings.
But the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Park Service, two federal agencies that handle
thousands of rescues a year, say they don’t want to send out bills because it might discourage
those in need from calling for help.
“One of the last things we want is somebody who would not want a rescue because of the
potential of having to pay for it, and therefore losing a life,” said Coast Guard Cmdr. Mike
Lopinsky.
Even relatively simple rescues can be costly.
In December, the Coast Guard and local agencies spent a total $85,000 to rescue 18
fishermen from an ice floe that broke off in Michigan’s Lake St. Clair and was sinking in a
snowstorm. The operation, conducted in gusty winds that drove wind chills below zero, required
several boats and a helicopter.
Officials said the fishermen used bad judgment by going out on the lake too early in the
season, before the ice was safe.
The same month, the Coast Guard spent $130,275 to rescue three balloonists who failed
in their attempt to circle the world and ditched their craft off Oahu, Hawaii, on Christmas Day.
The balloonists included Richard Branson, the British chairman of the Virgin records, soda and
airlines empire, and U.S. millionaire Steve Fossett.
After the rescue, Branson said he would pay if asked. But the Coast Guard didn’t ask.
The National Taxpayers Union, a Washington-based group that advocates less
government spending, says such individuals should foot the bill when they intentionally put
themselves in danger.
“People who knowingly take a risk to try to set a record ought to assume the financial
costs,” said Peter Sepp, the group’s spokesman. “These are people who know the dangers but are
going ahead anyway. Taxpayers should not subsidize thrill seekers.”
The Coast Guard spent $380 million of its $4 billion budget in 1997 on search-and-rescue
operations, while the National Park Service spent $3.4 million the same year, the most recent
figures available. The Air Force also helped with rescues but did not have figures immediately
available.
The totals include rescues of people who became endangered by unforeseen
circumstances as well as those who were taking risks.
Coast Guard spokesman Lopinsky said the money is well spent: His agency saved almost
4,000 lives and $878 million worth of property in 1997.
Just last week, a Coast Guard helicopter in Petit Bois Island, Miss., that was looking for a
sunken barge instead rescued a 7-year-old boy, four adults and three golden retrievers from two
boats stranded near an island. “At one point we had five survivors and three big dogs in our
helicopter. It was crowded, but it was a neat rescue,” Coast Guard Lt. Tim Grimes recalled.
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
The rescues of at least 95 fishermen in the one area of Michigan prompted state
lawmakers to introduce legislation requiring those who put themselves in danger by ignoring
warnings to pay rescue costs, or perform community service.
“Some of these people just defy the laws of consequence,” said Democratic state Rep.
William Callahan, a sponsor of the measure. “They will think twice before they do something
stupid again.”
Similar bills have been introduced annually in Hawaii, where federal and county rescuers
spent $75,000 in 1992 to rescue a movie cameraman trapped in a steaming volcanic crater. The
cameraman had been shooting movie footage of the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea.
The National Park Service in 1993 considered requiring mountain climbers and others
engaged in risky adventures to pay for their own rescues, but dropped the idea.
“If we had to think about charging a victim, does that mean we’re going to be hesitant to
call in two or three helicopters because the family can’t afford it?” asked Ken Phillips, the search
and rescue coordinator at Grand Canyon National Park, which charges only for transporting an
injured person to a hospital.
“If we start taking shortcuts, that might wind up compromising somebody’s life,” he said.
Instead, some national parks are stepping up efforts to discourage reckless behavior and
thrill seekers.
At Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, hikers who wish to climb Mount
McKinley, North America’s highest peak, must register in advance and list previous mountain
climbs. In addition, each climber is charged $150, which helps finance rescues.
J.D. Swed, the South District ranger at Denali, said the pre-registration has reduced the
number of mountain rescues. The government spent an average of $461.33 per hiker for rescues
in 1992, but that number dropped to $63.15 per hiker in 1997.
Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
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Identify factors that prompt teens to take unnecessary risks.
Recognize the high costs of health care in this country and discuss ways of reducing that burden.
Apply the reading skill of drawing conclusions to an article on risk taking in order to understand
its message for teens in particular.
Introducing the Lesson
Download from the Internet and print out articles or images of stunts that involve overt risk taking.
Examples might include balloonists attempting to set a new world's record for circumnavigating the
globe, individuals attempting to cross the ocean in a small sailboat, and the exploits of daredevils such as
Robbie Knievel, son of the legendary Evel Knievel.
Explain to students that they will read another article about costs associated with risk taking. Add that, as
students will see, these costs come not out of the pockets of individuals seeking treatment, but out of the
pockets of taxpayers. Explain that it costs a lot of money to rescue people who take unnecessary risks.
Spend a moment discussing the distinction between necessary and unnecessary risks and ask for
examples of each. (Examples: A necessary risk is the kind taken by firefighters putting their lives on the
line to save innocent victims. An unnecessary risk is the kind taken by daredevils and thrill-seekers.)
Teaching Strategies
Tell students to imagine that someone just entered the classroom carrying a dripping umbrella. Ask:
What conclusion would you draw from this? (It is raining outside.) Note that the ability to draw
conclusions based on evidence or facts is an important skill when reading.
Have students point their Web browsers to the site containing the article, or hand out printed copies of
the resource. Ask: What type of resource is this, and how can you tell? (A newspaper article; the byline
reveals this fact.) Allow a moment for students to skim the article. Point out that the author never comes
right out and states his own views on this topic, which is open to debate. Rather, as a good journalist, he
simply reports the facts and allows readers to draw their own conclusions. Urge students to take notes as
they read so that they will be able to reach an informed conclusion afterward.
After students have completed the reading, you may either use the following as class discussion
questions or assign them as individual or group work.
Follow Up
1. Drawing Conclusions. What was the U.S. Coast Guard's annual budget in 1997? How much did
they spend on rescue missions? How much did the National Park Service spend during the same
time period? What conclusion can you draw from these facts?
2. Comparing and Contrasting. Compare the official position of the Coast Guard with that of the
National Taxpayers Union with respect to charging risk takers for their own rescues. Which of
these positions do you come closest to agreeing with? Explain.
3. Synthesizing. What are some factors that prompt people to take unnecessary risks that place
their lives in danger? Which of these factors do you think play the biggest role in risks taken by
teens as a group?
4. Extending. Imagine that Congress passed a compromise law forcing only thrill-seekers to pay for
their rescues and not people who had exercised poor judgment. Do you think this compromise
would be fair? Explain your answer.
5. Analyzing. Critics of daredevils such as Robbie Knievel have attacked the media for publicizing
and even giving TV airtime to their death-defying feats. What is your reaction to this attack? Do
you think the conclusion these critics have drawn is reasonable? If so, do you think the media
should be held accountable for the money spent on rescue efforts? Why or why not?
Drawing Conclusions About a Health Topic
The article you read provided you with information and points of view about the issue of taxpayers paying
for rescues. You can draw conclusions about any health topic you read about by making note of the clues
describing the issue, the setting, or particular events surrounding a particular topic.
Find another article about a health issue in a magazine, newspaper, or online source. As you read the
article, look for clues and make notes recording the facts and specific information you find in the article.
Then list the conclusions you can draw based on available evidence and facts. What decisions can you
make regarding this health issue based on those conclusions?