How much does search and rescue actually cost?

The answer surprised me. Here's how to prepare before your next hiking, backpacking, or climbing adventure.

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Did you see the story of the man who impaled himself on his trekking pole in Montana, then hiked ten miles out to avoid expensive search-and-rescue charges? The media framed it as a testament to the failure of the American healthcare system. While our healthcare system continues to absolutely fail us… that’s not the whole story here.

I follow Salt Lake County Search and Rescue (SAR) on Instagram, and let me tell you, they are busy year-round. They’re finding lost hikers, rescuing fallen climbers, helping avalanche victims, and aiding those suffering from heat exhaustion or dehydration. Our teams are incredibly well-trained, and they are all volunteers. Some of these rescues take hours, and require hiking long distances while carrying lots of equipment. These folks are nothing short of heroes.

I hope I never need them, but like a good outdoorslady should, I’ve thought about what might happen if I did. And let me tell you, after spending a few days down a deep rabbit hole, it’s not easy to parse out the risks, associated costs, and mitigation programs available. I’m not surprised the Montana man didn’t know what to do, and decided to DIY his own rescue just in case.

First, the basics. There are two levels to rescue costs:

1. Medical expenses. These include an ambulance ride or Life Flight to the hospital, and hospital care. Basically, everything that happens after your rescue is likely covered by your health insurance policy, although there can be some overlap here.

2. Rescue expenses. These include (as examples) the cost of a helicopter, snowmobile, or boat search; equipment used in your rescue; and training for the SAR teams. This is often absorbed by the county, but can be charged back to you, especially in cases of negligence, recklessness, or intentionality.

We’re going to focus on #2 here—rescue expenses. There are a few things you can do to protect yourself against huge bills and support your local SAR teams—and if you are an avid recreator, you really should.

Step 1: The Garmin InReach Mini

If you’re an avid recreator—whether that’s hiking, backpacking, trail running, camping, rock climbing, paddling, or overlanding—you need a Garmin InReach. This is a safety item I bring on every single trip, no matter the activity. I have an older InReach Mini 2 with text messaging and SOS capabilities, but the Mini 3 adds photo and voice messaging capabilities.

The Garmin InReach Mini 2

The InReach will let you update trusted contacts quickly from the trail (“running late” or “decided to do Silver Lake trail instead”) and in non-emergency situations, text for help (“car battery is dead” or “took a fall, meet me at the trailhead”). But the real reason I have an InReach is for the SOS feature, which sends your GPS coordinates to a 24/7-staffed international coordination center via satellite.

Of course, if you have cell phone coverage, calling 911 is usually the fastest way to coordinate a rescue. But I rarely have cell coverage where I hike, paddle, and camp, and you might not either. The Garmin InReach Mini works where cell phones don’t, is purpose-built, and offers robust protection in the backcounty.

The InReach is expensive. The Mini 3 is $500, and the communication service itself starts at $8 a month. (You can still find the InReach Mini 2, which is the model I have, for $250.) However, the alternative—having no way of contacting someone in an emergency—is both terrifying and life-threatening. If you save up for one piece of hiking equipment this year, let it be a satellite communicator with an SOS function. (Bonus, I also take it on road trips, where I’m in national parks or other areas without cell coverage. It’s reassuring to have a means to text someone in case of an emergency.)

Step 2: Garmin Personal SAR Insurance

I also purchase an annual SAR Insurance plan through Garmin for the cost of $25 a year. (Yep, it’s that cheap.) This functions as an excess policy if you have other applicable insurance, and reimburses eligible rescue costs (like becoming injured, lost, disoriented, or reported missing) during a covered recreational activity. It covers the reasonable costs of the rescue itself, including things like:

• Privately-operated helicopters or other aircraft, snowmobiles, and rescue vehicles

• Search dogs or horses

• Drones

• Generators

• Other equipment deemed necessary by rescue authorities.

Garmin’s insurance provides up to $100,000 in search-and-rescue reimbursement per claim when initiated by Garmin’s SOS feature and rescue coordination center. The insurance works in most countries worldwide, so you’re also covered while skiing in Italy or hiking in Nepal.

Note, Garmin’s Personal SAR Insurance is not health insurance, and is not designed to cover the cost of medical expenses. There is, however, a minimal accidental death and dismemberment benefit of $5,000.

Spotting mountain goats in the High Uintas. You’ll have zero cell service out here.

How likely ARE you to receive a huge SAR bill?

This question sits at the crux of the Montana hiker’s dilemma. The cost of SAR can be enormous, particularly if the rescue necessitates a helicopter, is deep in the back country, or requires an extensive search. An average rescue in Grand County, Utah (home of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks) costs about $2,000. More complex rescues can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

I assumed, as that hiker did, that we’d be hit with that bill (plus medical expenses) should we need SAR support. However, if you are recreating responsibly, you’re not likely to receive a bill from SAR, at least here in the U.S. Most states view SAR as a public safety service (like calling 911), so even if the rescue is expensive, they will generally absorb the cost. Several states have laws allowing cost recovery from the rescued party, but most use them sparingly. Typically, billing is reserved for situations involving reckless or negligent behavior, ignoring closures or warnings, illegal activity, or intentional misuse of rescue resources.

So why do I still carry Garmin’s insurance?

In part, because extra coverage (especially when it’s this cheap) is never a bad thing. Mostly, however, it’s to support my local SAR teams.

Rescue billing is inconsistent from state to state. Here in Utah, we usually don’t bill rescue costs back to the injured party. However, in high-use recreation counties with small tax bases, expensive rescues can become a financial burden. While it’s rare, counties can still bill the cost of rescue back to the injured party. Also, international SAR policies may not work the way they do here. Switzerland, Italy, Nepal, and New Zealand all have different funding models. For $25 a year, it’s well worth knowing I won’t be hit with a $10,000 bill if something goes wrong while hiking in the Alps.

In addition, Garmin’s policy says, “We will pay the expenses incurred for Search and Rescue… Itemized receipts of services and costs from the authorities who seek payment must be provided.” This means if I am rescued and my county foots the bill, they can also receive reimbursement of covered costs through my Garmin insurance policy.

I emailed Garmin to confirm, and they replied, “The SAR Insurance Policies will reimburse the Insured Individual for payments made for rescue, or we will make payment for invoices directly to the rescuing agency that has invoiced the Insured Individual.”

This is another strong case for maintaining my Garmin policy. It’s another way to support my local SAR team (and county) rather than leaving them to shoulder the costs of my rescue. And I like the idea of helping to fund the system that saves lives in our mountains—especially at just $25 a year.

Bonus: Utah’s USARA card

I have a third layer of SAR support available here in Utah. We are one of just a handful of states with a statewide SAR card program. (New Hampshire and Colorado offer similar programs.)

The Utah USARA card is essentially a pre-paid contribution to a state reimbursement fund. If you then need search and rescue in-state, the county can apply to that fund to recover their eligible rescue expenses. It’s not insurance, but it is another level of protection, and another way to support our SAR program.

The money goes into a state-administered fund, which reimburses county SAR teams for eligible non-medical rescue costs like replacement and upgrade of search and rescue equipment; the rental of aircraft, helicopters, snowmobiles or boats; other equipment or expense necessary for conducting search and rescue; and the training of search and rescue volunteers. Purchasing the card ensures these rescue expenses will never be billed to you (unless it’s determined that your actions were reckless or intentional). My family card was just $31 for a 12-month period.

I bought the card simply to support our (all volunteer) SAR teams. While the reimbursement fund doesn’t compensate volunteers, it ensures they are well-trained and well-supported with safe, modern equipment.

Bring more water than you think you need… and don’t forget the LMNT Electrolytes.

Stay safe, stay informed

While the story about the Montana hiker was making the rounds on Instagram, I had a conversation with Kim, a Gallatin County SAR member. (Gallatin County is in Montana, where the incident happened.) Her initial comment said, “Gallatin SAR would have got to him so much quicker - and if he insisted, heli could have short hauled him out and dropped him off at the trailhead/parking to have a friend/fam transport him. Free. LifeFlight to hospital is when the bill shows up. 🫠 I totally don’t blame him for being unaware of this, but as a GC SAR member this story hurts my soul. I’m so relieved there was a positive outcome.”

Kim then shared one last tip that we should all take to heart: “SAR would much rather you contact us early on if your adventure is running into issues. It’s easier to find/reach you during daylight and/or before bad weather has moved in, and it’s easier (and less urgent) to treat you before it becomes overtly serious. It does take us time to respond. Help us help you! 🫶”

I am so grateful an established, well-trained, highly-coordinated SAR program is in place in Utah should the worst happen. I also know that it’s my responsibility to recreate safely—which means being prepared, knowing my limits, and using good judgment. It’s not just my well-being on the line—it’s the well-being of every SAR team member called out to that emergency. I hope the tips I shared here today will help keep you, and everyone else, safer in the outdoors.

XO, MU