No charge from CHP for helicopter rescues
CHP regularly uses its helicopter to help people in distress in the Tahoe region. Photo/EDSO
By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee
Q: In cases like the snowboarder who had to be rescued after he skied out of bounds at the Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort, is he charged for the cost of the CHP helicopter and those who risked their lives to rescue him?
George, Sacramento
A: Officer Matt Causie, a paramedic with the California Highway Patrol’s Valley Division Air Operations, said some counties may charge for search and rescue operations, but the CHP does not bill the people it rescues.
The CHP’s air operations, he said, are funded by motor vehicle fees and are intended to provide blanket coverage for counties that might not have their own air resources.
