Get lost in the backcountry, and you better hope your home county can pay for the rescue mission -- even if nobody finds you.
Santa Clara County is likely to get the bill for Tuolumne County's six-day search for Mountain View hiker Eric Tucker, who emerged on his own Tuesday after nursing injured ankles and roughing it for more than a week in the Stanislaus National Forest.
By law, California counties may bill one another for such searches, and the home county can turn around and send the bill to the missing person.
Nobody has started to calculate the cost for Tucker's search, but it might run as high as $200,000, said Tuolumne County Sheriff's Lt. Jim Earll. Santa Clara County officials say they expect a bill, but not one that high.
full story at: http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premiu...hikeside12.htm
Also, see http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premiu...cs/hiker12.htm for the story on the lost hiker...great story for "Don't Panic." He fell, injuring himself -- and basically stayed in place for 5 days resting and letting his body heal enough to finally drag himself out of the woods. Didn't panic, didn't waste energy while seriously hurt, thought out a plan to get himself out.
Santa Clara County is likely to get the bill for Tuolumne County's six-day search for Mountain View hiker Eric Tucker, who emerged on his own Tuesday after nursing injured ankles and roughing it for more than a week in the Stanislaus National Forest.
By law, California counties may bill one another for such searches, and the home county can turn around and send the bill to the missing person.
Nobody has started to calculate the cost for Tucker's search, but it might run as high as $200,000, said Tuolumne County Sheriff's Lt. Jim Earll. Santa Clara County officials say they expect a bill, but not one that high.
full story at: http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premiu...hikeside12.htm
Also, see http://www0.mercurycenter.com/premiu...cs/hiker12.htm for the story on the lost hiker...great story for "Don't Panic." He fell, injuring himself -- and basically stayed in place for 5 days resting and letting his body heal enough to finally drag himself out of the woods. Didn't panic, didn't waste energy while seriously hurt, thought out a plan to get himself out.
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