Re: Ted O'Brien found

[Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com>]

On Tue, 04 Sep 2001 13:03:07 -0400 "Dan C." <dwcole@mediaone.net> writes:
> At 12:48 PM 9/4/01 -0400, Dave Faneuf wrote:
> >I haven't gone through all my mail yet, but in case it hasn't been
> >written about, Ted has been found and he's okay
> >
> 
> By chance I was watching NECN when O'Brien had a news conference.  
> While I 
> am pleased for O'Brien and his family that there was a happy ending, 
> the 
> utter stupidity of the man by attempting a hike in unfamiliar 
> territory, 
> without adequate preparation, is mind boggling.  A lot of folks put 
> their 
> lives on the line in the rescue effort.  Unfortunately, there is no 
> law 
> against being dumb.  I do hope that NH Fish and Game sends him a 
> bill for 
> the cost of the rescue.
> 
> 
> Dan Cole
>

I believe NH does have a law (or regulation) that if Fish and Game
determines that the hiker was negligent (or whatever the legal term might
be) they can bill the hiker for the cost of the rescue.  As for being ill
prepared I don't know if Ted was or not since I am not a hiker,  he
seemed to be dressed appropriately for the most part and did have food
and water with him.  He did vastly underestimate the trail he was taking.
 Ted told his wife it would take him about 6 hours to complete,
experienced hikers say that trail takes about 11 hours to complete so
that is probably where he messed up since they were planning to leave NH
for Boston at about 4:30 Sunday afternoon.  So (and I haven't talked with
Ted yet) I figure at 4:30 Sunday afternoon Ted was still 4 or 5 hours
away from completing the hike and got disoriented by the dark.

df