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Just watched a TV programme which touched on the cost of rescue.

 

The long and short of it is that if you are lost or have an accident in the mountain or at sea and have to be rescued, you have to pay for the costs of the rescue. Two victims reported in the TV programme paid, respectively, JPY11,000,000 and JPY17,000,000 (no I didn't accidentally add a few zeros) for the costs of search party and the search helicopter. The private helicopter company (it seems that it is not an official or governmental problem) charged the full commercial rate at JPY700,000 per hour not including 'waiting charge'.

 

The families of the victims were given a 'quotation' of the likely costs (not negotiable of course) and were given the choice of (i) leaving them to die or (ii) pay up the huge rescue charge.

 

It is an ambulance-chasing attorney's wet dream.

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Quick question.

 

If for example I:

run over an old lady driving while uninsured,

Need to be rescued by a 7 hellicopter 200 person 9 day search and rescue effort,

get framed and then caught with small quantity of pot in my pocket, or some other equally expensive endevour,

 

How will running away to New Zealand and never accepting phone calls from japan work. Will it just mean that I cant loan money from the bank in the future? Could I be extradited? could a NZ court order me to pay $25 a month for the next 96 years?

 

What ever happens I'm sure it would take years for the japanese end to get around to organise themselves into action.

 

any ideas? ( I hope the news isn't too bad as thats my plan B should I find myself owing 10's of millions of yen.)

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You can be sure that for your money, the rescue will be carried out in the most efficient, professional manner possible. (I'm always amazed at how slowly the ambulances go in this country...)

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even if you break your legs on the ski field ie 5 metres from a groomed trail it takes them a long time.

more than 2 hours just to get to the base building. Longer for the ambulance to get there which was not ready waiting after the 2 hour "rescue". So much for the old "golden hour" trauma patients have to get to the emergency room if they want a decient chance of survival.

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It seems that the only rescue the Japanese is good at is when it comes to Japanese banks!!

 

I heard about the ambulance thing too but fortunately haven't had any personal experience.

 

Just show that, minus the economic performance, Japan is really just a developing country.

 

Jared, by the way, the Official Receiver or Bankrupcy Trustee can also take away your carve board. :p

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"the Official Receiver or Bankrupcy Trustee can also take away your carve board. "

 

Even in another country if the debt is in japan? I will however do my best to avoid any expensive situations and be insured if any arise but its always good to have a plan B.

 

What about filing for bankrupcy?

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Just to be on the safe side (and because it is free), please note that what I say below is not legal advice should not be relied on by anyone without seeking proper legal advice and I am not responsible (and therefore cannot be held liable) for any actions or steps taken based or relying on what is said below.

 

In theory, bankruptcy trustee have multi-juridiction power subject to the administrative and judicial cooperation of the country in which the bankrupt resides or where his/her assets are.

 

What about filing for bankruptcy?

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mmmm I think I'll just pay for the legal advice when I need some. As someone who was on the recieving end of some rather expensive dental damage, I know that making the person who done the damage pay is not that easy. I am still supposed to be getting 5 or 10 dollars a week (which i recieve only occasionaly) and it happened years ago.

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well, one day, when we were at varsity, siem sent jared off to go drinking with his buddies alone cos she didn't feel up to it. jared and his friend are walking down the main street, minding their own business when they walk past a couple of guys... and to cut a long story short, jared gets his front teeth knocked after being headbutted in the mouth, police get the guy, he goes to court, has to pay money (a few dollars a week), we have to foot the huge dental bill and get a loan to do it (a couple of thousand dollars is a lot for students)... and we so far have less than a hundred dollars... mad.gif

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Japanese ambulances...

A mate got knocked off his bike in the middle of the city, had a few nasty gashes (including to the head). After the ambulance finally got there, first they went to the wrong hospital. The ambulance men were told that the trauma unit was closed on that day and they would have to take my happless friend to a different hospital. Cause this wasn't in the manual it seemed to confuse our intrepid rescuers and they had to stop at the side of the road and consult an road map then ask a passerby before finally finding the right hospital.

True story.

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I posted this thread because I was so upset watching the TV programme about the poor families who were told basically to leave their loved one to die or part with what could be their life-saving. You could argue of course that the victims should have stayed within the safe boundary of civilised life and not embark upon 'hazardous' activities such as hiking in the mountains but I think the penalty is completely out of proportion to the extent that it offends the sense of fair play. In the TW programme, no mention of any governmental or official involvement is made and the rescues were more or less left to the hand of some local 'rescue' organisations who provide the 'service' at a cost that the families of the victims are not in any position to negotiate. In one example, the 'rescue' body organised a search party of about 30 locals, each were paid a rate of JPY30,000 a day, not to mention the helicopter operator which charge its full usual commercial rate of JPY700,000 per hour excluding other costs such as 'waiting charges'.

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Just got to remember that you are pretty much on your own in the hills. (I might see about getting a flair to sit in the bottom of my bag)

Its not like the "locals" on 30,000 a day are all that competent.

 

A few years back when the NZers were caught in an avvie, a few people from Niseko where I was staying went down south to help look for them. The rescuers werent allowed into the area to look because of avalanche danger. While waiting and not knowing the gaijin could speak japanese one rescuer says to another "well at least we all get lunch on the family"

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Just check the flare comes as part of a pre-paid rescue package... lol.gif

 

To be fair, i've heard it's just as bad in Europe (although at least pro's are looking for you). You have to agree to the costs before you get picked up.

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me GFs uncle paid for mountain insurance after he witnessed a rescue and found out how much it was.

 

he recommended we did the same thing.

 

the insurance is 1000 yen a month or summin like that. so not a too big hole in the pocket

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I heard that a search costs 250NZ per patroller per hour on Mt Hutt. I don't know what they charge for a heli, but I think that works out at a lot more than 30,000 a day, competence differences accepted.

 

According to a TV special my wife saw last spring, the Nagano police heli is free, but its bigger and more cumbersome than the commercial helis and can't get as close to some of the terrain. While its free, I doubt you'll get more than a quick once over. The program said the Gifu police charge for theirs.

 

Most mountain rescues in Japan are for winter hikers. On the program it showed a case where a team of university students called the free heli from an unmanned shelter on the top ridge line. A group of older men in the same shelter made it down the mountain the next day. They said the students had had two days food with them and compared the use of the heli to getting a free ride in a taxi.

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Mikazooki (does it mean new moon),

 

Thanks for the information - I think everyone who like mountain sports should take out the insurance. Do you know the company that offers them?

 

Siren

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There are a few mountaineering insurance available and sometimes you can get a cheaper rate, if you apply through some ski club, or mounteneeing clubs. Mine suppliments what I already have through my company, with up to JPY 4mil on rescue.

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IM,can you tell us how to contact these insurance guys. I try to find decent insurance for climbing and BC snowboarding every year but end up going without cause I cant deal with the hassle.

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