Mt. Hood Rescues Raise Questions About Who Pays
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DownloadThe rescue of two climbers on Mt. Hood over the weekend raised the question about who pays for the cost of these rescues? As Pete Springer reports, the answer depends on who transports the rescued climber to the hospital.
The Clackamas County Sheriffs Office coordinated the rescue of a climber who was severely injured Sunday. They called in volunteers and specialty A-M-R paramedics.A military helicopter also responded, but the helicopter was unable to land safely on the upper slopes of the mountain.So the injured climber was carried down to a Timberline Lodge parking lot for a military airlift to a Portland hospital. The cost of the airlift is considered a training expense paid with federal funds, says Major Mike Braibish with the Oregon National Guard.Mike Braibish: “Each state is allocated a certain amount of dollars for their training. What we’re able to do is utilize these real world experiences here, such as the rescues on Mt. Hood, we’re able to utilize those events with our training dollars.” In contrast, a climber rescued from the mountain on Saturday with less serious injuries was transported to a hospital by ambulance. She’ll be billed for the ambulance as well as the medical service and supplies she received during the rescue.
© 2009 OPB
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