Rescues involving helos. run about $25,000 a pop. Our military considers the rescue effort to be of a training nature. The actual rescuers long for the calls to come in, prompting the rescues. I was a volunteer firefighter, and in the military, so I know what I speaketh. I worked downrange in Iraq and Afghanistan, as a civilian contractor, and wished with all of my might, to go outside the wire. Yes, there is a cost, and yes, people need to use their heads. How about the idiot that puts his hand inside the body of a lawn mower while it is running? Why shouldn’t this yokel receive the bill in it’s entirety? Same with a dog bite. Yes! Charge them with the cost of the rescue in some way commiserate with other acts of poor judgment. Of course this strikes at the core of liberalism because it’s rare that the individual is responsible for their own actions.
Not so generous in Europe. In the Alps, all experienced hikers carry rescue insurance. If they don't and need assistance, they pay.