I'd like to see where they were on the mountain. I've been there a few times as well, and you have to be pretty out of it to get lost. Not to mention that it hadn't snowed and they could quite easily have followed their tracks back inbounds. Yeah, you're gonna post-hole the whole way back, but it's better than dropping in elevation into the Kicking Horse river.
I ride out of bounds all the time, and cross marked boundaries quite often, so I know how serious ski patrol take these things. I'm no expert but I've also done my avi training, spend on average 30-40 days a year in the backcountry, so I know what it's about. People need to realize that as soon as you step out the patrolled zone, you're on your own. Search and rescue shouldn't be accountable for your own stupidity, and they're not obligated to go balls out when they're not even sure someone is missing. While it is their job to find you if you're lost, keep in mind a lot of those guys are volunteers and it's your job to make sure you're equipped properly when you go anywhere near uncontrolled areas. I've seen some absolutely STUPID things in the years I've spent riding/sledding, with this one not even close to the dumbest.
It sounds a little crass, but I don't see the RCMP, Search and rescue or KHMR being held responsible here. They crossed a MARKED boundary, so they knew the risk. They gambled, and lost.
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