A judge ruled on Thursday that a man who injured himself while hiking in New Hampshire鈥檚 White Mountains in 2012 must pay $9,300 to the state鈥檚聽Fish and Game Department for his rescue, . The New Hampshire Supreme Court found that Edward Bacon, a 62-year-old outdoorsman from Michigan, had acted negligently in preparing for his expedition聽and was therefore responsible for the costs incurred during his rescue.
Bacon was on a five-day trip through the Franconia Notch when he dislocated his artificial hip and found himself stranded and unable to hike unassisted聽to safety. State employees eventually came to his aid, carrying him through high winds and 鈥渢orrential downpours,鈥 and probably saving his life, according to a press release published by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department a few days after the incident.
When he was hit with the $9,300 bill, Bacon disputed the charges. But in 2014, a Concord District Court judge affirmed the state鈥檚 assessment that Bacon had overestimated his fitness for the expedition and ignored warnings that the weather was turning, .
Bacon continues to insist that his injury was not his fault聽and that his doctors assured him he had the strength to complete the hike. He has also disputed Fish and Game鈥檚 claim that he dislocated his hip by trying to jump backward over a ledge.
Since 2008, New Hampshire has been able to offload rescue聽costs to hikers聽if the state could prove that the person鈥檚 predicament was due his or her own negligence. As 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听reported in 2012, the state has contemplated selling an optional rescue insurance card for hikers that would cover any rescue costs.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e getting rescued, there should be an expectation you鈥檙e going to participate in the cost of that rescue,鈥澛燬enate Republican leader Jeb Bradley said at the time.
One form of insurance, a聽Hike Safe聽card that sells for $25, has been available in New Hampshire since January.