Rescue Me

There’s no doubt that we taxpayers see value in the search and rescue teams and the lengths they’ll go to help an innocent victim. But what about those times we foot the bill for bad judgment, prankster high jinks and extreme sports fanaticism? As Deputy Dist. Atty. Lonnie Felker puts it, “When you put other lives in danger just to satisfy your adrenaline needs, that’s the time the individual should pay.” In a groundbreaking case, Felker prosecuted two lost snowboarders who knowingly veered out of bounds at a ski area near Glendale last February. Each was fined $800, placed on probation and ordered to pay $7,000 to the search and rescue team that saved them. We gave the L.A. Fire Department four hypothetical situations to calculate what size tabs would emerge.

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Situation: Mountain biker falls down hill after going off marked trail at Griffith Park.

Rescue time: 30 minutes.

What’s needed: Three engine companies at $2,358 an hour; one truck company at $5,989 an hour; one helicopter at $4,245 an hour; one urban search and rescue team at $657 an hour; one rescue ambulance at $411 an hour.

Total cost: $9,188

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Situation: Equestrian rides off trail in Angeles Crest Forest. Rider is OK, but horse must be lifted off hill.

Rescue time: 45 minutes.

What’s needed: One truck at $5,989 an hour; two engines at $2,358 an hour; one helicopter at $4,245 an hour; three Helitac personnel at $1,250 an hour; one rescue ambulance at $411 an hour.

Total cost: $14,333

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Situation: Jogger runs in L.A. River basin despite storm warnings and is swept away in a flood.

Rescue time: 30 minutes.

What’s needed: Six engines at $2,358 an hour; two trucks at $5,989 an hour; two swift-water teams at $460 an hour; two helicopters at $4,245 an hour; 10 Helitac personnel at $1,250 an hour; one rescue ambulance at $411 an hour.

Total cost: $24,22

*4 Situation: Inexperienced hang glider unfamiliar with wind shifts is stranded on Point Fermin cliff.

Rescue time: One hour.

What’s needed: One truck at $5,989 an hour; two engines at $2,358 an hour; one helicopter at $4,245 an hour; three Helitac personnel at $1,250 an hour; one rescue ambulance at $411 an hour.

Total cost: $19,111