New Hampshire officials say unprepared hiker must pay for own rescue

northNew Hampshire Fish and Game officials rescued an unsuspecting hiker near Franconia Ridge Sunday night and plan to charge the individual for the cost of the operation.

Hiker rescued from Franconia Ridge in New Hampshire

The agency received an emergency call at approximately 6:03 p.m. on Sunday, October 19 regarding a hiker requesting assistance near the summit of Little Haystack Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire. The hiker was identified as Jayson Choy, 23, of East Hampstead, NH. It was located above the tree line on Franconia Ridge Trail.

Choy reported to conservation officials that he was unprepared and lacked essential supplies such as water, food and a headlamp. With temperatures dropping and a storm system approaching, officers began a rescue trek.

A conservation officer located Choy just below the summit of Little Haystack on Falling Waters Trail at 8:14 p.m. Choy was provided with the necessary food, water and a light before being escorted down the trail. They arrived back at the parking lot at approximately 9:50 p.m.

After the rescue

Choy, who was uninjured, said he had not anticipated the hike would last so long, so he was unprepared for the conditions. Fish and Game confirmed that Choy will be charged for expenses incurred during the rescue operation. The dollar amount of the ransom is still unknown.

Fish and Game used the incident to remind the public that hikers should always carry the proper equipment. They urge hikers to pack the ten essential items (including warm clothing, extra food and water, and a headlamp) before heading into the mountains.

Is it normal to pay for search and rescue?

In a word, no. New Hampshire is one of the only states that regularly charges for search and rescue in cases it considers preventable.

A handful of other US states, including Maine and Oregon, have laws that allow them to collect for ransoms that result from negligence. But in practice, those rescued are almost never billed.

The practice of charging for ransom is controversial. Some say it is justified in cases where a recreationist’s own negligence led to a costly and, in some cases, dangerous rescue mission. Others argue that fear of a costly bill will deter people from asking for help when they need it.

Even in New Hampshire, it remains rare for the rescued party to end up footing the bill. New Hampshire Fish and Game carried out an average of 189 rescues per year between fiscal year 2009 and 2019 at a total cost of approximately $3.1 million. According to the Appalachian Mountain Cluban average of 17 of these operations were billed to the rescued person.

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