[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Okay, I'd say all the arguments about adventure vs education, or risk vs reward, or even how expected the weather is are irrelevant.

The fact of the matter is, we have those services for a reason. We can't just start to pick and choose who gets saved for free and who's not covered under the Adventure/Risky/Probably expecting bad weather exclusion clause.

Those kids on the school boat, were doing something that was inherantly more risky than going to a regular school. I'd be willing to bet that the school on the boat isn't the best in the world, so they were clearly going at least in part for the adventure over their education, and expected or not, bad weather conditions can strike any time. So really is that situation all that different?

What about if a cruise ship is sinking? There's clearly no redeaming value to that cruise for those people other than having a good time or an adventure, and getting on a boat is probably a lot riskier than staying in any number of resorts that offer the same ameneties in a non-floating environment. Should the coast guard refuse to save them untill they've ponied up some cash?

The point is it's pretty much impossible to draw an arbitrary line where you can say these people are worth saving, and these people will have to pay their own way to be saved.