The 'Costs' of Mountain Rescue

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With all the media hype about the recent rescue attempt on Mount Hood for 3 lost climbers, I felt obliged to post my 2-cents worth. We in the SAR community have been watching how this most recent tragic event was handled by the media with great concern. So many of the articles were based on the subjective opinions of people who do not have an understanding of search and rescue operations or an appreciation of the athletic sport of mountain climbing.

I suppose search and rescue operations above the tree line will always hold a kind of fascination with the general public. The pundits always come out of the woodwork screaming for climbers to pay rescue fees, for mandatory rules on MLBs, for requiring some kind of climbing certification, and so on. The bottom line is that these mountain rescue operations are a very small fraction of our total ‘call-outs.’

Many folks do not realize that the individuals who volunteer their own time to assist in search and rescue operations devote a huge amount of time training for myriad search scenarios. The vast majority of searches are for lost hikers, hunters, ATV riders, and so on. These searches get very little coverage in comparison to mountain rescue operations. Nevertheless, we do not hear complaints about the cost of these operations or see campaigns focused on making hikers and hunters carry location devices and pay additional fees.

People venture beyond the obscure line that divides supposed ‘safety and security’ from 'risk' to experience life without cellular communication, the internet, and the constant deluge of information that comprises the ‘modern’ world. If we try to legislate this essential and inherently human experience out of existence, then a fundamental element of the human spirit dies.

Oregon’s SAR volunteers contribute not only their time, but also their own money and resources in many instances. We contribute to the cause of helping others without expecting anything in return. Much of our hours in training or in ‘stand-by’ mode go unnoticed. Corvallis Mountain Rescue for example had a team of 6 members standing-by ready to deploy at midnight on Saturday, December 12th. We were deeply disappointed and saddened by our inability to help find these unfortunate climbers due to the unsafe avalanche conditions on the mountain at the time.

If you were to ask each one of us why we freely give of our time and resources you would get a variety of answers, but at the heart of it lies an appreciation of the human spirit and an understanding that at some point in our lives all of us need some form of help and support.