Way OT-my missing son

responsible

Actaully, 3 out of 4 of my family members ARE search and rescue volunteers. We volunteer our time, as does the sherriff's department and the military, but the cost for all those helicopters etc does ultimately come out of our taxpayer pockets.

If you read my note carefully, which you did not, I was referring to recreation issues, not travellers. But that's OK if you didn't read my post carefully, you are justifiably concerned with your family.

whatever.

Karen M wrote...>"Tina Redweik does not own a cell phone because she is not technology savvy, she said."

Although I understood Tina didn't own a cell phone....I thought I read that she had found one (that DID have a charge).

Out of curiosity I gave my cell phone to my 80 year old father to see if he was able to make a call (asking him NOT to place a 911 call)...and maybe my phone is easier to use than others....but he poked the buttons for the numbers he wanted and then the green "send" button. Pretty self explanatory. He DOES use a computer though....so isn't totally "out of the technology loop."

Marlys, I don't think Small Change was referring to search and rescues such as your family....but those associated with recreational stupidity. When I lived on the Florida coast we would often see people who would go out sailing in the high winds just before a great storm such a hurricane.....and then when they got in such terrible trouble that they needed to call for "help"......these repeated acts of stupidity were predictable, costly and often resulted in tragically sad results. You name the activity and you have seen people take it to the extreme risk.

I didn't read that the search was called off. I only read that you were running low on hope. Please don't give up Marlys. Joy

to me from this article like he reached safety. Joy

Please note that the second paragraph states the he is "STILL MISSING". The search was stopped Saturday and this is Tuesday. NO, NO, NO, he was not found. He is most definitely still missing. Please read the article word for word. Please!!!

Marlys in Indiana

Sorry but I'd rather pay for search and rescue operations for someone's son rather than see something like this happen to a family and there be

*nobody* who would help, or be qualified, to search for them.

I don't think "people going places they have no place being" the kind of judgement call most are qualified to make....at least not unless they are personally on the scene, or until after the fact. =20

In my opinion the 'big bucks' are well spent.

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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Sorry but I'd rather pay for search and rescue operations for someone's son rather than see something like this happen to a family and there be

*nobody* who would help, or be qualified, to search for them.

I don't think "people going places they have no place being" the kind of judgement call most are qualified to make....at least not unless they are personally on the scene, or until after the fact. =20

In my opinion the 'big bucks' are well spent.

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

--------------

I'm 73 years young and love my cell phone[& computers], but I do know about so-call dead-zones on the cell, too. When I was in SC a few years ago for seven months, I was not able to use the cell phone in the living room, but could walk into the bedroom and it worked wonderfully. This was a 1-BR apt. on the lower level of a 3-level bldg. Apparently, it was the direction the building faced. Emily

In Nevada, the rescued people are billed for the expense and are expected to pay it. As you note, the big bucks are well spent when it's your life or your family's life. People who accidentally start forest or brush fires also pay.

Marlys have the police contacted the hospitals in the area?

-Irene (still keeping you in my thoughts and prayers)

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

--------------

I DID read that the rescuers didn't find him.....and I know that YOU don't know where he is. But, realistically, from what it sounds, he HAS reached safety, and even though he hasn't been making decisions that make the most sense to you and the rest of the family (possibly due to the sun, exposure and stress)....for whatever reason, he has taken a different course than expected. Stress can lead the body to react in lot's of different ways and maybe he just needed a break to get away and think things through. Just because the people looking for him don't know where he is doesn't mean HE doesn't know where he is. But at least from the article he isn't being eaten by cayotes and buzzards ........and unless people are watching WAY too mutch T.V....I wouln't suspect foul play and turn him into the movie of the week. He seemed to be on his own course and not the victim of anyone. That's all I meant. I thought it looked like good news. Joy

Apparantly it's called e911 capability. Look on the side of the box your cellphone comes in to see if it's included.

are short-range devices. stations in sparsely-populated areas are not financially viable, and in wilderness areas would also be inappropriate and obtrusive. Cellphone reception on the hills can be quite good (because of the height) but is unreliable in coverage. I couldn't say what to expect in a desert area. If you already have one, a cellphone is good backup device to have with you, but can't be relied on as a primary safety device as there is no guarantee of reception when you may need it most.

I agree with you that the cellphone is often seen as a magic "get me out of this" wand.

In the UK many of the mountain rescue organisations tell of a rise in the number of calls from poorly prepared walkers ranging from the serious (My companion's fallen and seems to have a broken leg) to the outrageous (I'm going to be late for a meeting - send a helicopter!) All are treated seriously, and wherever possible the caller is "talked down" - guided off the hill. If this is not possible, their location is sorted out ("what can you see", Where were you headed for") and a search is mounted. Mountain rescue in the UK is still all-volunteer and receives no government subsidy - this is by choice, partly as we all fear that such a subsidy would be followed shortly by compulsory insurance requirements.

It is always awkward to bring up the cost of emergency facilities. In the UK the hi-tech arm (helicopters etc) is provided free-of-charge by the RAF who regard it as an extension to the training program. Otherwise the mountain rescue teams are funded as charities - no taxpayers money involved.

I wonder, though, whether the cellphone is simply allowing us to hear more of the ill-equipped rather than causing them to go out in the first place.

Thank you. I'm glad someone besides Joy in this group was paying attention and understands the meaning the word "recreation".

I dunno, there seems to a lot of cell-phone-in-lieu-of-planning going on out there....

ps.

Marlys, please, that was not how I read the post. Smallchange was talking about people who get into RECREATIONAL difficulties then use cellphones to call the emergency service to come get them. We have this problem in Scotland with people going into the mountains without the equipment or knowledge and then calling out the volunteer mountain rescue. You had told us that your son and DIL did not own cellphones so she could NOT have been referring to them. Still sending positive thoughts and hoping for good news.

Marlys, do you believe any, or all, of these sightings are possibly really your son? ( I remember that lots of people saw Laci Petersen after she was already dead.)

I'm still praying for you, sweetie.

A

Ditto. I don't think anybody deserves to die just because they used bad judgement.

A