DCSO: We don’t bill people for SAR rescues
State law allows it, but officials say delayed calls for help could pose more danger to all involved
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue does not bill the people it rescues, although state law allows it, to ensure those needing help don't wait too long, possibly putting them – and their rescuers – in greater danger, an official said Monday.
The question arose after an all-night rescue over the weekend of a hiker at Broken Top mountain west of Bend that authorities said primarily resulted from the Beaverton woman’s intoxication.
"To my knowledge, we have never billed a person that our DCSO SAR team has searched for or rescued," Lt. Bryan Husband, the sheriff's office Special Services coordinator, told NewsChannel 21.
A state law (ORS 404.270) does provide authority for a public body to collect up to $500 per "benefited person," to reimburse for search and rescue costs, Husband noted.
However, he said, "We are not considering charging (the woman) for her rescue."
"If someone needs help, we would prefer they call sooner than later, and having to face a financial penalty may delay that call," Husband explained. "This delay could make things worse for the subject, and more difficult for our SAR volunteers."
"Many times, when someone calls right away, we can address the problem prior to a situation becoming more serious," the lieutenant added. "We can sometimes get them pointed back in the right direction, without having to send our volunteers out into the field."
And the sheriff's office is not alone in that stance: "Most other SAR units throughout the state of Oregon have chosen not to charge for SAR activities," Husband said.
Companions of a Beaverton woman hiking near Broken Top mountain west of Bend called for help Saturday evening, saying she was losing consciousness and could not continue down on her own. But after an all-night rescue, authorities said Sunday they learned intoxication was the “primary factor” in her need for assistance.
County 911 dispatchers took a call around 7:10 p.m. Saturday regarding a hiker who her partners said was “in trouble” and needed assistance, according to sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Westfall, assistant search and rescue coordinator.
Based on that information two sheriff’s deputies and nine Search and Rescue volunteers responded to assist the woman. One of the deputies remained at SAR headquarters to coordinate the mission.
Based on the 34-year-old woman’s location and the amount of intermittent snowpack on Forest Service roads in the area, “reaching her location proved challenging,” Westfall said in a news release. He added that an air ambulance trip was not an option due to weather conditions and circumstances of the call.
Instead, SAR participants drove up Bearwallow Road in trucks towing two off-road SAR vehicles, Ranger and Argo. The deputy and volunteers headed up Forest Service Road 370 to the 380 Road in ranger and Argo, Westfall said.
Due to the amount of snow, the roads later were found to be impassable for one of the off-road vehicles, so some SAR volunteers had to hike in on foot, the deputy said.
SAR volunteers reached the woman around 12:40 a.m. Sunday and began tending to her, Westfall said. Shen then was able to walk down the mountain, with their assistance, to the Broken Top Trailhead, where SAR vehicle Argo was waiting.
The woman then was taken to the SAR trucks in the Argo and was given a ride to Bend, at her request, declining further medical assistance. Westfall said the SAR volunteers and deputy returned to headquarters in Bend around 7 a.m.
“It was later determined that intoxicants were the primary factor in (her) inability to continue down the mountain, requiring her rescue,” Westfall wrote.
“The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office would like to remind the public that consuming intoxicants while recreating in the wilderness can lead to dangerous situations necessitating rescue, and potentially putting the recreator and rescuers at risk as a result,” he added.
