Some Montana Hikers are Selfish and Foolish
So I came up with a way hikers in Montana could stay safe. I said if a hiker is lost and needs to be rescued they should pay a fee. Unless they bring a flare gun and a satellite phone. I hoped people would read it and it might even save a life.
I got calls on my show. Listeners worried a flare gun would start a fire. I also found out that an expensive satellite wasn't needed. A GPS tracker was inexpensive and would work fine for hikers.
Today I was talking to a hiker and wondered. I asked her, "Would a GPS work?"
She said, "Yes."
Then I asked if she had one when she went out and hiked.
She said, "No."
That is the problem. No one thinks they are going to get lost when they hike in the wilderness. Maybe it takes someone like me, a newcomer from New York City, to make hikers understand. You are foolish and selfish. Even if you never get lost on a hike you are only thinking about yourself. Think about other people. The rest of us in Montana are paying taxes.
If you get lost other citizens are paying for rescue teams. We go out and and search the wilderness to find you. People volunteer, give up their lives, searching for you. And don't forget while searching for you they might get hurt. They are putting their own lives in danger.
So all my advice to hikers might be working. Below is an email, from Hawaii.
Dominick,Excellent article on lost hikers! The technology I invented that is approved and adopted by the military solves the problem without the fire hazard/short-lived flares!"You Have to be Seen to Be Rescued!" Most hikers are flown over by aircraft but they don't see them because their head is the size of a rock. Check out the SeeRescueStreamer that is used all over the world by military and civilians. www.SeeRescueStreamer.comFeel free to contact me for any further information. Perhaps Montana should require carrying a streamer if you are going hiking in a National Park?Thanks again for the excellent article on the longstanding problem!Aloha,Rob
Dr. Robert Yonover
Now, I have no idea if the thing this guy is selling works or doesn't. It's a fact that more and more people are getting lost hiking in Montana. Something needs to be done.
Dominick