More than a dozen search and rescue missions were carried out this year on the Oregon Coast. The bodies of four people were recovered, and about a dozen more lives were saved by local rescue agencies.
The Curry County Sheriff’s Office said a majority of their calls involve rescuing people from out of state.
In most places, search and rescue is purely a public service, funded by taxpayers and donations. However, there are counties and states including New Hampshire and Utah where people who are rescued can be billed especially if the agency finds they were careless. That’s not the case for counties in Oregon. On the coast, where dozens of rescues happen each year, people are divided on whether that should change.
“Once you get into a situation to get out of it, it’s pretty hard to do without help,” said Curry County Sheriff John Ward.
Ward said so far this year, the sheriff’s office has completed 18 search and rescue missions.