J.Dub
Active member
Chip said:
Oh dear, it appears that I threaded this belay device backwards AND forgot to screw down the locking biner...
"Come fly with meeeeee......"
$25,000 fine assessed for teen hiker
- Thread starter Hillwalker
- Start date
Help Support vftt.org:
Oh dear, it appears that I threaded this belay device backwards AND forgot to screw down the locking biner...
"Come fly with meeeeee......"
Paradox
New member
- Joined
- May 29, 2006
- Messages
- 2,268
- Reaction score
- 314
Get used to it. I chose to leave him hanging in a cravasse for 8 hours, with a ball point pen as his only anchor. You could hear his hollering halfway to Muir.Oh dear, it appears that I threaded this belay device backwards AND forgot to screw down the locking biner...
"Come fly with meeeeee......"
Last edited:
Chip
Well-known member
"With friends like these..."
Actually I consider ball-point-pen anchors and improperly threaded belay devices all part of the learning experience.
It's nice to survive these outings and have something to "Night Terrors" about later.
Tim Seaver
Well-known member
This quote, included in the statement by NASAR, sums it up best. Whether at sea or in the mountains, rescue operations being delayed by the fear of the cost of rescue are likely to compound the problem, for both the victim(s) and rescue personnel. Which means more money, more deaths, more grief.
Looking at the extremely awkward PR optics at this point, I have to wonder if Scott was chosen deliberately just to show how desperate the need for funding is:
"Hey everyone, look over here, we are so broke we are shaking down a 17 year-old kid for $25k because he made a few bad decisions under tricky spring conditions. Oh yeah, and he got himself out and already kicked down 1k on his own. Does that make us jerks, or just hard up for cash?"
One other thought that keeps coming back to me per the mythical ( and no doubt, horribly boring) "reasonable person": Imagine what a dull world we would live in if it was only occupied by reasonable people? Was Bob Marshall "reasonable" when he took off on sixty mile days alone in the wilds of the ADK? Was Guy Waterman "reasonable" when he climbed the compass points of the 48K, much of it in winter? I think not.
Here is to unreasonable people everywhere - you make our world brighter, better, and a whole lot more interesting.
Apparently the parties are in negotiation.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1189068&srvc=rss
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1189068&srvc=rss
deanmacg
New member
This is all socially acceptable. EVERYBODY does them. Being that I was a BS Scoutmaster & a NE115er I was impressed with this kid - I say cut him a break.
Little Rickie
New member
As a long time Scouter myself I'd say a service project would be appropriate.
deanmacg
New member
That's sensible
cushetunk
New member
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2003
- Messages
- 450
- Reaction score
- 50
Three cheers to that, but I think if you (and me too) are going to be unreasonable and push the boundaries of society, then we can't realistically expect society to be on board with bailing us out for free all the time. Risk taking is only meaningful if there are consequences.
That said, the question at hand is not really whether sometimes unreasonable behavior is called for, but how low the bar is going to be set to deem certain hiking unreasonable.
Ridgewalker
New member
I think the SAR system in NH needs to be evaluated for its policies and ambiguous definitions of verbiage in its rules. My 2 cents on the matter. Let the Eagle Scout be admonished for a bad choice, if there was one, or like Little Rickie said a service project.
Stash
Active member
WinterWarlock
Active member
In this case, probably similar to community service...but in this case, to be relevant, they should make him help out with hike safe education in some way.
Ridgewalker
New member
A service project is tantamount to community service, its typically rendered to civic and non-profit organisations other than the scout's unit to teach the boys selfless service, leadership, and volunteerism.
Little Rickie
New member
A couple hundred of hours working with or suporting search and rescue people would be a nice project or speaking to youth groups at vistor centers or at trail heads about the risks of hiking the high peaks would work too.
Service projects in place of $ for a young person can benefit the offender just as much as those served, maybe more. Money can't but that. I hope he gets a wise judge.
J.Dub
Active member
I daresay that a service project like this might benefit the hiking-community-at-large even more than a $25,000 cost reimbursement...
Little Rickie
New member
Makes sense but that may not mean much once the legal types get involved. Lets hope he gets a good judge.
Not much, but cannot state my real feelings about CC, as those would be politically incorrect here.
Chip
Well-known member
Not much, but cannot state my real feelings about CC, as those would be politically incorrect here.
Ah, well, it's a day off from work anywho...HEY, on a similar note; that Vinland map may be real. Neil surely owes the Vikings something.More relevant: The fine is due tomorrow and is still being negotiated.
kmac
Active member
Marty-
I'm sorry to hear about your friend, my very good friend's brother died hiking in the ADK's from a heart attack a couple of years ago,very sad.
"Cudos" to this young kid who saved his own life with the skills he learned as a scout. I have put myself in percarious situations, as I guess many of us had, and this definitely puts a different spin on it.
I do agree with Tim Seaver ......Reasonable living...how very boring!
kmac
.
