Brian Holden: Being brought back down to earth

Thames the police dog at home with dog handler constable Mike Wakefield.

It's reassuring to know that should we ever get lost in the bush, mountains or anywhere for that matter in this country, help will soon be on its way. Whatever we consider the price of human life to be, no cost is spared and hopefully all going well, a precious life is saved.

However, things become sticky when such a search eventually needs to be called off.

The ethics of search and rescue can be very sensitive indeed - like the scenario involving the recent week-long search for a missing police rescue dog Thames, that cost more than $10,000. New Zealand Police documents show $5700 was spent on helicopter costs, while approximately $5700 was spent on Wellington Police Search and Rescue staff.

A total of 417 hours was spent searching for Thames by volunteers and police. Thankfully the 4-year-old dog was found alive in the bush after spending seven days lost in the Tararua Ranges, making the whole effort worthwhile - as Thames would certainly agree.

An expensive time consuming exercise, which some may regard as over the top. However for those who think purely in dollar values, to acquire and train a new dog could have cost even more, had Thames not been found.

Rescues through such misadventures can certainly be a costly process, but then so can needless mercy dashes through lack of forward planning. A Greymouth pensioner is "stunned" after receiving a $1472 bill for an ambulance ride to transfer her partner, who suffers from dementia, to Christchurch for surgery which did not proceed. The man was told he needed surgery, and was duly transferred from his Greymouth rest home to Christchurch, by St John ambulance under a private hire basis. For reasons we may never know, the patient then requested that he did not wish to have the operation.

"Imagine my surprise when I received an invoice from St John for $1471.99 to be paid by June 11 for travel expenses," his partner said.

"Why should I have to pay such a huge sum of money when my partner is a subsidised resident (of the rest home in Greymouth) and I am a superannuitant?"

The invoice says the charge is for a trip covering 237km, and clearly states that it was a private hire, and that such charges apply.

Oh dear. Surely the woman should have raised the question of charges before arranging the long trip, not to mention ensuring that her partner was in agreement to have the intended surgery done. A whole heap of bad planning here, and I'm afraid to say that the lady has little choice but to pay the bill.

-Brian Holden has lived in Rotorua for most of his life and has been writing his weekly column for 11 years.