Rescuing people ‘shouldn’t have a price’

WELLINGTON: The final cost of rescuing an Australian soldier from Mt Aspiring is still unknown, but the Federated Mountain Clubs head says a price should never be put on people’s lives in deciding a rescue response.

Australian soldier Terry Harch spent four nights stuck on Mt Aspiring before a break in the weather allowed two helicopters to lift him, and four members of the Wanaka Alpine Cliff Rescue crew who had been sent in to help him, off the mountain.

Land Search and Rescue has acknowledged it was an expensive rescue, but the total cost is yet to be calculated.

Ultimately the bill, for items such as helicopter hire, meals and any broken equipment will come back to the Rescue Coordination Centre, part of Maritime New Zealand.

Rescue Coordination Centre manager Mike Hill said cost was not, and should not be, a factor in deciding the response.

‘‘What would families be saying if someone had died, and [we’d been looking at] the cost and

❛ No, of course we do as much as we can to rescue and save people

in whatever circumstances they’re

in

balancing these things out? Do we do as much as we can and get to X figure and say we’re going to stop now?’’

Mr Hill said covering the cost of the rescue of a visitor from overseas was part of New Zealand’s international obligations and bound by international conventions.

‘‘If you look at a worst case scenario, it could be an escaped criminal may need rescuing. If you look at what is happening in the Mediterranean right now, people are making decisions which are very risky, to leave one country to get to another, but if they get in distress they are saved.’’

Each year the Government funds the Rescue Coordination Centre $5 million. About $1 million of that is spent on covering the bills which come in as a result of the 1000 rescues it is involved in annually.

The Government also provides $21 million to Land Search and Rescue.

Federated Mountain Clubs president Peter Wilson said it would be a slippery slope to start considering the cost when deciding on the response to a rescue.

Furthermore, he said most of the work involved in a rescue was done by volunteers.

‘‘I’ve always seen search and rescue as a bit of selfinsurance, having been involved in rescues myself and having been rescued myself. If you’re an outdoor person it is good to give back because one day you might need it yourself.’’

Mr Wilson said New Zealand had a worldleading search and rescue system, and he did not believe there was any need for major changes. — RNZ