Steve Fosset's Widow to be billed for search...

[Flying Pig]

Before we know it, you will have to provide the last 3 copies of your pay stub, proof of employment a credit report and your bank account statements prior to any search being launched.

The fact that they are "rich" should hardly be a criteria.  He earned his money.  You either charge everyone you look for, or you don't charge anyone at all.  Now, is it terrible to try an recoup from someone by asking?  I dont think so. Go for it and see what happens.  But I would like to see where that money goes when its paid back.   But as someone said earlier, I doubt any budget shortfalls were caused by looking for Fossett. 

As far as $200k per year, Im sure mikey has no foundation for that number.  Move to CA, and Ill guarantee making $200k per year hardly qualifies you as being rich. 

[jimmydeanno]

I think you guys are missing the point.  The point is that the level of effort for this search asset and time wise was far greater than the typical person gets.  So simply because someone is rich/famous they get a better search effort than the 80 year old alzheimer's patient that wandered into the woods and gets his search called off in 3 days because his chances of survival were slim anyway.

If you want to argue about worth, stop looking at what each person is worth and start looking at they varying values of each person's life that we put on by varying the effort we put in looking for them. Why do we have varying degrees of effort based upon who the person is.

[mikeylikey]

Before we know it, you will have to provide the last 3 copies of your pay stub, proof of employment a credit report and your bank account statements prior to any search being launched.

The fact that they are "rich" should hardly be a criteria.  He earned his money.  You either charge everyone you look for, or you don't charge anyone at all.  Now, is it terrible to try an recoup from someone by asking?  I dont think so. Go for it and see what happens.  But I would like to see where that money goes when its paid back.   But as someone said earlier, I doubt any budget shortfalls were caused by looking for Fossett. 

As far as $200k per year, Im sure mikey has no foundation for that number.  Move to CA, and Ill guarantee making $200k per year hardly qualifies you as being rich. 

But the man in question got searched for by resources that would normally not be used on an ordinary citizen.  And if you read my original reply, I said the wife is a millionaire, so charging her does not effect her as much financially as it would an ordinary tax paying citizen.  

My reply of $200,000 was in response to what I believe constitutes being rich in this country.  Not what I believe should be the cutoff for paying for rescue services.  You see making $200,000 is not the norm.  I would love to see the same resources and amount of people used to search for some missing girl from the ghetto as was used to search for this daredevil.  

If she can afford to pay up the $, then by all means she should.  I think I still have to pay for an ambulance to come pick me up if I am having a heart attack.  Why is this situation any different??

[0]

I can see both points being argued here.  My philosophy his family should not pay for the basic level of search.  That's what emergency service personel do.  However because there were some extra measures taken because of who the missing person was I don't see a problem with asking to help defray the cost of the extra effort.  

[mikeylikey]

I think you guys are missing the point.  The point is that the level of effort for this search asset and time wise was far greater than the typical person gets.  So simply because someone is rich/famous they get a better search effort than the 80 year old Alzheimer's patient that wandered into the woods and gets his search called off in 3 days because his chances of survival were slim anyway.

You beat me to that point!  I can not agree more.  This countries populace is transfixed on celebrity and those that are "famous".  It is really becoming sickening.  It is all apparent too in other areas like politics.  Hollywood believes that because they are all millionaires, they can tell the rest of the country what to think, and who to vote for.  

I think this search in question was conducted for too long, and at enormous expense that would not have been seen if it were anyone else.  It does set a precedence though.  The next person to go missing in that area of the country should get the exact same resources, money and time spent on their search.  If not, it is one hell of a basis for a huge lawsuit against the state and its agencies.  

Next time a elderly person goes missing from an old age home, I hope to see hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on his or her search.  

[mikeylikey]

As far as $200k per year, I'm sure mikey has no foundation for that number.  Move to CA, and Ill guarantee making $200k per year hardly qualifies you as being rich. 

California is soo much different than the rest of this country, it is almost like its own separate country.  I was just stating $200,000 as what I believe sets apart middle class and the wealthy.  I also think that is what the FED basis some tax junk on too. 

[Flying Pig]

If I could move out of CA....Id be gone in a second.  My county borders the area where Fossett went missing.  I have been on a few SARs in that area through work and after about 5 days, and one helicopter searching, we called it.

Inyo and Mono counties are very low income.  Not poor, just very VERY rural.  Those agencies definitely do not have the financial resources to do much when it comes to SARs. I am sure they were more than happy to step aside and let CAP do its thing.   My Dept and CHP usually assist them. 
But, you guys are right in the fact that nobody has ever been searched for like that, for that long.

[CASH172]

Do any insurance gurus know if renters insurance covers for a SAR response. 

Most likely NO.  It covers your rental property and what is placed inside that property.  If you happen to go missing, you are no longer inside your rental property, thus your insurance does not cover you.   

I meant if someone rented an aircraft which ended up being searched for.  Also, does anyone think an umbrella policy would cover SAR.

[JayT]

please provide a definition of 'rich' that could cover the entire country.

A person that makes over $200,000 a year. 

So someone who makes $199,999 a year gets free volunteer searchers and the citizen who makes $200,001 pays the bill if something happens?  Doesn't it matter that both of them will have payed a great deal in local, state, and federal taxes for services just like this?

With all due respect: I disagree.  Each citizen and resident of this country deserves the same consideration.  As a Civil Air Patrol officer, I search for anyone with the same vigor, no matter what their station in life.

GC

Hooah!