Kayakers who ignored warnings refuse to pay rescue bill

Debate over whether people should pay for their rescue has been rekindled, as a pair of kayakers refuse to cough up for costly efforts to help them.

The cost of most land or water search and rescue in New Zealand tends to fall on taxpayers, with ACC often paying out.

In some cases, organisations send bills to people such as the two kayakers, who are now arguing that their rescue from the swollen Shotover River near Queenstown was not necessary.

There are concerns that routine charging will discourage people from calling for help, or enjoying the outdoors altogether.

LandSAR (Search and Rescue) chief executive Hadyn Smith says that, "as it stands, it's a really difficult process indeed for anyone who has been involved in a search to then retrospectively try to charge the people who have been the cause of the search - unless it's been reckless, or unless it's been a deliberate attempt to waste the police's time".

"But taking it to that next level down, where someone has overstepped their abilities and got themselves in trouble on a track, in a river, on a mountain or whatever, I think most people have a real difficulty drawing the line."

Queenstown harbourmaster Marty Black said the two kayakers were rescued after ignoring warnings not to go out on the flooded river.

A helicopter, which can cost more than $1500 an hour, was put up to search for the men when they were overdue, and one of the pair had lost his kayak and broken a finger.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council, which underwrote the rescue, sent them a bill for $4000, but they refused "point blank" to pay.

Mr Black said another bill was to be mailed to the pair. Failing that, the council was prepared to go to court to try to get the money.

"We are not unreasonable, but in this situation, we are making a very strong stance to recover the money."

The country's Rescue Co-ordination Centre does not bill people for the search and rescue it oversees, and likewise police do not try to recover the costs of operations they are involved in. However, occasionally police will prosecute those whose actions waste their time, and reparations can be ordered by the court.

Mr Smith said the bottom line was that "even stupid people deserve to be rescued".

"Certainly the discussion has been quite robust over the years over why should people who have been absolutely silly to the extreme not be charged something.

"Perhaps there should be some middle ground - somewhere where ACC is put to one side in a reckless-type situation and costs can be recovered in certain circumstances.

"[But] I would hate to see that as a consequence, all of a sudden we are not seeing anyone in the outdoors because they are scared stiff they are going to be charged for walking out the door."