Does this qualify for "yuppie 911"?

[carole]

Cell phone GPS locates lost hiker in Belknap Range. I wonder where?

 

[Christa]

I saw this earlier today, myself and I wondered exactly where in the Belknap Range he got lost, too. I've always found the trails to be well blazed there and not very difficult to follow. Of course, if he intentionally went off trail...that's a different ball game. I'd be interested in knowing more of the story.

But, then again, he did start hiking at 2:00 pm, which has it's own set of issues.

 

[Maddy]

There is an interesting comment by blvds50 if you scan down. It is presently the fourth one down.
He is an SAR person and it sounds like they are pretty fed up with the antics that are ongoing in the Whites. He mentions that in that past they were mostly called out for injured hikers but times have changed and that is no longer the case.

Interesting comment in light of rescue reimbursement policies.

 

[Mitts]

WMUR comment

There is an interesting comment by blvds50 if you scan down. It is presently the fourth one down.
He is an SAR person and it sounds like they are pretty fed up with the antics that are ongoing in the Whites. He mentions that in that past they were mostly called out for injured hikers but times have changed and that is no longer the case.

Interesting comment in light of rescue reimbursement policies.

Just want to point out that he CLAIMS he is associated with SAR. WMUR's website is open to anyone to post and is only moderated for inappropriate comments. I'm not saying he isn't an SAR member, its just something to keep in mind.

my .02

 

[Waumbek]

There is an interesting comment by blvds50 if you scan down. It is presently the fourth one down.
He is an SAR person and it sounds like they are pretty fed up with the antics that are ongoing in the Whites. He mentions that in that past they were mostly called out for injured hikers but times have changed and that is no longer the case.

Interesting comment in light of rescue reimbursement policies.

I know of at least two trolls posing as SAR who have written in online to the Union Leader. They like to stir up the pot; hiker rescue (and charging for it) has become a hot issue, witness all the threads on VFTT. I'd question this one too.

 

[Maddy]

I know of at least two trolls posing as SAR who have written in online to the Union Leader. They like to stir up the pot; hiker rescue (and charging for it) has become a hot issue, witness all the threads on VFTT. I'd question this one too.

Funny that you say that. The thought had crossed my mind. Good to know this kind of thing is going on.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I found it interesting that there weren't the usual comments when Dr. Wieslaw E. Walczak's story was posted.

Tim

 

[griffin]

I found it interesting that there weren't the usual comments when Dr. Wieslaw E. Walczak's story was posted.

Tim

Me too, but I think it helped that his friends and colleagues took over the thread.

 

[Mike P.]

I love the comments.... I guess I have a bill coming, I started my hike today at 2:30 PM and part of my trip was coming back from a place I had not been since Mr. Gunby was born. (oh yeah, i didn't get lost, it was a short hike & I had a light)

It will be interesting to see if he gets a bill, he was easy to find thanks to the cell, he's a local & likely little or no assets. He's 24, his parents aren't responsible.

 

[ColdRiverRun]

I know of at least two trolls posing as SAR who have written in online to the Union Leader. They like to stir up the pot; hiker rescue (and charging for it) has become a hot issue, witness all the threads on VFTT. I'd question this one too.

It is hard to believe someones claim to be involved with SAR for over 20 years when they start a comment with, "Just another foolish irresponsible hiker".

 

[ColdRiverRun]

I love the comments.... I guess I have a bill coming, I started my hike today at 2:30 PM and part of my trip was coming back from a place I had not been since Mr. Gunby was born. (oh yeah, i didn't get lost, it was a short hike & I had a light)

Good lord. You weren't wearing foot wear below 8 inches up the ankle too were you.

 

[RoySwkr]

Whether this is "yuppie 911" depends on what would have happened in the absence of the cell phone:

If he would have found his own way out, either immediately or the next morning, then it was the high-tech gadget that led to a rescue

If without the phone call, someone would have reported him missing, authorities would have found his car and searched nearby trails, maybe making enough noise that he would be found that night or maybe not, the cell phone coordinate saved a lot of effort

I found it interesting that there weren't the usual comments when Dr. Wieslaw E. Walczak's story was posted.

Some people forget that "search" and "rescue" are 2 words.

The doctor apparently was killed in an accident, and was found right away once they looked for him. Anytime someone dies they could have lived by doing something else, but nobody could call him inexperienced and no doubt could afford the proper gear. While there were undoubtedly costs in retrieving the body, they were relatively minor and it is state policy not to charge in fatal cases.

There are plenty of places to get lost in the Belknap Range although most hikers don't go there, because this guy had a cell phone with GPS he could be found fairly quickly and escorted out at minimal cost. (One might imagine that in a libertarian society the dispatcher might tell him, "There is a trail .1 miles downhill from your coordinates, do you want to go there yourself or pay $100 for an escort.") The expensive cases are those where the person isn't found promptly because they are dead, or like Mason apparently make no attempt to signal rescuers.

 

[dug]

Unfortunately, the lords of the boards on the UL website usually don't discriminate in times of death vs. survival. Everyone who hikes in the winter, goes in the woods alone, or for some, just get off the ass and put down the Wii game are all needlessly putting others are risk.

Like Tim, I was pleasantly suprised there were no comments this time.

 

[evilhanz]

It is hard to believe someones claim to be involved with SAR for over 20 years when they start a comment with, "Just another foolish irresponsible hiker".

He's a known troll and not involved with SAR.

 

[erugs]

I found it interesting that there weren't the usual comments when Dr. Wieslaw E. Walczak's story was posted.

Tim

There weren't the usual comments here, either.