Stranded Hiker Ordered to Pay NH Huge Sum for Rescue

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By Beth Dalbey (Patch Staff)

A Michigan man may owe his life to New Hampshire rescue teams after he dislocated his hip while hiking in the White Mountain National Forest in 2012, but now he owes the state $9,300.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court’s ruling that Edward Bacon, of Northville, was negligent when he set off on the five-day solo hike, the Associated Press reports.

The ruling comes as more states are looking to bill thrillseekers for the costs to rescue them from remote locations, not only in New Hampshire, but also in places like Wyoming, Oregon, Utah and Idaho.

Search-and-rescue professionals say that’s a bad idea, and charging for rescues increases risk for both victims and rescuers.

“Case after case shows that backcountry recreationalists who think they’re going to be charged for rescue will delay calling, often until it’s dark, the weather is worse, and conditions are now more dangerous for both the person in trouble and the rescuers,” according to a post on the No Charge for Rescues Facebook page.

After Bacon, now 62, became stranded on the Franconia Ridge, rescuers had to carry him more than four miles over rough terrain during a heavy downpour and winds gusting to more than 70 miles per hour. The winds were so severe, the state argued, that one of the rescuers was knocked off his feet several times.

Photo credit: Ken Snow via Flickr