In Arizona, most people can’t be convinced to leave their homes and air conditioning during the months of July and August. Our forecast lows look like the highs from other states, and the temperature can creep up near 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoon. This is a great excuse to take up stand-up paddleboarding, an outdoor activity in which there is always a body of water underneath you to cool yourself off. Not only is it a great arm and core workout, but it allows you to be in nature during the hottest days of summer. And while no outdoor activity is completely safe, there has yet to be an Arizona headline about dozens of emergency responders expending thousands of tax dollars to save someone who got heat exhaustion while paddleboarding. But maybe some people aren’t motivated by nature or physical activity, but instead by delusion. While Arizona’s desert scenery is beautiful during cooler months, too many hikers ignore heat advisories to trek our trails at taxpayer cost. And while the hiker might not be held financially responsible for the costs of their own rescue, they are still responsible for their own medical bills after a rescue. Read on to learn more about how a mountain rescue could result in debt that eventually requires bankruptcy. For your free consultation with a member of our Arizona bankruptcy firm, call 480-405-1010. 

Mountain Rescue Costs

While there is a cost to lives being lost, there is inevitably a dollar amount that can be placed on mountain rescue, and that dollar amount would never need to be spent if hikers exercised common sense in their recreation. Currently, there is no law holding Arizona hikers financially responsible for their own rescue. Arizona used to have a “stupid motorist” law, which would hold drivers financially responsible if they drove into flood zones (which are marked) during floods. The law had to be repealed, as drivers would get stuck in floods but refuse to call emergency services. But we’ve all made a wrong turn while driving before, and it can be especially hard to see in inclement weather, which is extremely rare in Arizona. I personally have accidentally put on boots and ended up on a hiking trail, although that would be a more reasonable explanation than willingly deciding to hike in triple-degree heat. The estimated taxpayer costs of mountain rescues for hikers in Arizona are as follows:

  • Estimated total mission cost: Any mountain rescue mission will cost taxpayers, as a baseline, at least several thousand dollars. More complex missions are estimated to cost somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000.
  • Helicopter deployment: In Phoenix, fuel and other costs make it about $1,200 per hour to operate a helicopter for mountain rescue missions. 
  • Personnel and equipment: A fire truck generally costs taxpayers about $200 per hour to operate. Most mountain rescues will require at least 2 trucks, bringing the taxpayer cost to at least $400 per hour. How many personnel are called to the scene can also affect costs, and prevent them from responding to other emergencies while conducting a mountain rescue. 

There are several factors that can affect the cost of a rescue mission. Just recently, Oscar-winning animator Glen Keane (72, son of the creator of The Family Circus comic strip) decided to take an August hike and ended up needing to be rescued by 25 firefighters. He brought the firefighters a present to show his appreciation, but us taxpayers also deserve a present for funding his rescue, as do any Arizona residents who did not receive emergency services during his rescue mission from an unnecessary hike. We’ll be waiting, Glen- we accept cash and gift cards. 

Medical Bills from a Hiking Rescue

While us taxpayers end up footing the rescue bill for irresponsible hikers, they are still left to pay their own bills from any medical treatment they receive due to the incident. Medical debt is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States, so if the bills are high enough, a hiking mishap in Arizona could necessitate a chapter 7 bankruptcy or chapter 13 bankruptcy filing. Medical debt is unsecured, making it fairly easy to discharge in both chapters of bankruptcy. Some of the estimated expenses from a heat stroke/dehydration hospitalization include:

  • Urgent Care: If someone requires a helicopter to save them from a hiking trail, they will probably end up in the ER rather than Urgent Care. But for minor cases of heat stroke or dehydration, an Urgent Care visit will cost the patient roughly $150-$300. 
  • Emergency Room: In heat stroke and dehydration cases, the patient should go to the ER if they are vomiting or confused. This can cost between $1,500 and $3,500, although this can be greatly impacted by the patient’s health insurance coverage. Most will end up paying their full deductible for a health event like this. 
  • Ambulance Transport: If the patient requires ambulance transport, this can add another $900 to $1,500 on top of the rest of their medical bills. 
  • Facility fee: If the patient is actually admitted to the hospital and has to stay for treatment, they can incur $500 to $3,000, or max out their deductible. 
  • IV Fluids and delivery: While effective at treating dehydration, IV bags can cost anywhere from $200 to $800. 
  • Physician’s fee: A hospital patient isn’t just charged for staying in the hospital, but for their appointments with doctors as well. A physician’s fee for an evaluation can range from $200 to $500. 
  • Blood work: This may be necessary to test the hiker’s liver function and electrolyte levels. Blood work can cost as low as $50 or upwards of $500. 
  • Lost wages: If a hiker requiring rescue and hospitalization is employed, they will likely require time off from work, resulting in lost wages. This might be PTO that the person would’ve rather saved for later in the year, or straightforward income if that person runs their own business, works for commission, etc. The hiker could even lose earning potential permanently if their injuries are severe. 

Stop Hiking in the Summer. Beat the Heat (of Debt) with Bankruptcy Instead.

Hiking can be a highly enjoyable hobby, and occasionally hikers do legitimately require rescue if they are injured or experience another medical emergency while out on the trails. But there is no reasonable excuse to go hiking when it is hot enough to fry an egg on the ground. Rescue missions are not just expensive, but dangerous- you ultimately would be responsible if an emergency responder died while saving you on a summer hike, and it would be your fault their partner lost their spouse, their children lost their parent, etc. The government may not hold you financially liable, but the rest of Arizona will hold you morally responsible. Stop hiking in the summer and find something else to do, such as address chronic debt issues with bankruptcy. Chapter 7 and chapter 13 provide unique benefits that could drastically improve your financial situation. To learn more with your free consultation by phone, contact Chapter Bankruptcy Lawyers today at 480-405-1010 for more information.