Group items tagged

Each day, on average, there were 11.2 search and rescue (SAR) incidents in our national park system. Most are concentrated in just 5 park units. The most likely people to require a rescue are males, hikers and boaters.

Beyond the growing number of questionable incidences, the article was prompted by the story of a group of hikers in the Grand Canyon that activated their emergency beacon three times over the course of three days! Each time a helicopter was mobilized for a potential rescue. On the third mobilization, rescuers finally took the four hikers off the trail and cited the leader for "creating a hazardous condition" for the rescue teams.

Frank van Manen, a U.S. Geological Survey research ecologist and president of the International Association for Bear Research and Management, said it's not that the bears are becoming more aggressive. Instead, he said, bear populations are skyrocketing under state bans or limits on bear hunting.