Colo. search and rescue fund helps pay for volunteers

Adventurists who need to be rescued in Colorado are being asked to buy a Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue card because there is no budget for search and rescue missions and volunteers rely on that money to pay for equipment and other costs.

Last year, there were more than 1,600 search-and-rescue missions in Colorado. That’s 400 more than the year before.

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs says the cards can be purchased for $3 each by tourists and hikers. People who buy licenses, like hunters and fishermen, pay a 25-cent surcharge.

According to the Durango Herald, it can cost up to $2,400 an hour for a rescue helicopter. Ropes and harnesses have to be replaced frequently.

State officials say the funds won’t cover medical treatment or transport.

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Information from: Durango Herald, http://www.durangoherald.com