I am not heartless and I’m glad they were rescued. I hope they learned a lesson. And I’m sorry for your loss. I have lost friends as well - one drowned in the Missouri River scouting a canoe trip for rehab patients.
But, the thoughtlessness of these specific three hikers should be punished. They not only endangered themselves, they endangered the ones who had to go after them.
My friend made some fatal, if not reckless “mistakes” .... unfortunately, before he even left home, he set those dominoes in motion and never realized they were falling ... if he had, he could have perhaps stopped what was going on. He paid for his mistake(s) with his life.
I have led hikes for years and also am in a situation where I see a lot of really low info, many times just “stupid” people out on the trail. I have intervened and kept a lot of folks from bad situations. We refer to them as “tourons” ... tourist morons. I know you aren’t heartless ... it also makes me mad when SAR has to risk their lives to save the truly stupid. I’m guessing these folks thought they were well-prepared with their backpacking equipment, but most folks (and I’ve done it myself) underestimate the forces of Mother Nature, how quickly you can become hypothermic and lose your life. After my friend died, I changed my ways considerably ..... with most folks, it doesn’t register it can “happen to you” until it does ... or to someone very close.