Gee, what a great idea. It's worked so well already with the out-of-bounds snowboarders. I'm sure we'll have the same positive results from your suggestion.

By the way, #$@^% happens sometimes, regardless of signs, etc. We all have various forms of recreation and exploration in our lives. That's part of being human. We take what we believe to be reasonable precautions and yet, the inconvenience of requesting assistance from our fellow man still arises. I hardly think this is cause for us to place signs everywhere to point out every contingent harm that may be incurred. Yes, Stop signs on the roads make good sense however, that doesn't mean that we place stop signs on every corner, nor do we turn every-day activities in our parks into, "don't make me pay for your accident" events. We may as well go to a user pay system for medical. Why should the rest of us have to pay for your coronary just because you choose to sit behind a computer all day rather than exercise... you should know better, Ben.

Hhad there been a sign put up beforehand on the Willow river 6 familes would still have their children . Had a sign been put up on the Cottonwood before a group of people decided to canoe it they also might be alive . Had it not been that Gordon Ford "happened " along on the Salmon River at the jam and rescued the two people clinging to a sweeper in front of an undercut bank jam, I wonder what would have happened to them? I too take chances, but when I have been warned (just as a stop sign does) and you decide to run it, you must then take the responsobility for your actions. Finally, if you think I sit behind a computer all day...follow me around for a day.
Meisner

I agree with Meisner and I get out a lot myself.

I am also pro signs for recreation areas and any pit area that states clearly people that are caught littering will be strung up and wipped until they have paid sufficient blood for their crime.

Obviously this is unenforcable but at least they will have been warned about it, and maybe I wouldn't have to look at their garbage every time I go out to my favorite spots.

While were at it lets make it a $500 fine to have glass bottles within 50 meters of any public body of water, and for good measure a few more signs indicating how to contact authorities to report poachers.

A perfect world....

Yes I'm sure signs can save lives, but what you're saying is that the accident and the lack of signs was the fault. What you don't understand is that what happened here can happen on any of our rivers... it's not unique. I canoe and kayak the region and these hazards are quite normal. Accordingly, notwithstanding how morbid the outcome, blaming the lack of signage is ridiculous, not to mention the placement of the signs in relation to the point of entry vs. point of risk or risks. I could go into the necessity of training people before releasing them onto waterways, but that would be another discussion.

Most important part of your epinion, that I take exception with, is the desire to charge these people for the rescue... the same people whom you stated as being placed in an avoidable position due to lack of signs. LOL

The whole reason we don't charge is that we don't want people in trouble to have to unduly delay their rescue and thereby potentially increase the risk of loss of life due to threat of punitive measures... financial punitive measures. Yes, there's exception for people who outright ignore posted and verbal warnings and who ignore common knowledge of risk, but don't start mixing those events with the unfortunate events of this case... that's simply irresponsible and sensationalist.

As for your taking to heart the comments of sitting behind the computer, I only stated such to give further example, accurately or not, to the implications of "user pay" being extrapolated to other events in our lives. I could just as easily have stated that I don't want to pay for your medical costs related to knowingly living in the 2nd worst air-shed in Canada... user beware, user pay, right?