CARRABASSETT VALLEY — After meetings were conducted Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon, March 3 and 4, it was decided that the Carrabassett Valley Fire Department and Sugarloaf Mountain are going to seek reimbursement for joint rescues conducted Friday evening Feb. 26 and Sunday evening Feb. 28.

The back side of Sugarloaf where four snowboarders were lost overnight recently. (Contributed photo) Friday’s rescue totaled $2,300 and involved 22 rescuers; Sunday’s event totaled $8,352 with 27 rescuers taking part. Volunteers from Stratton-Eustis, Kingfield, and Carrabassett Valley fire departments; as well as members of Sugarloaf’s Ski Patrol, Sugarloaf employees and members of the

Maine Warden Service all took part in rescue effort. Rescue personnel from Franklin County were also on standby.

Five snowboarders on Friday and four on Sunday crossed safety boundaries established by Sugarloaf. These boundaries are in place

to keep skiers from entering areas on the back side of the mountain that contain sheer cliffs, trees and un-patrolled trails, according to Carrabassett Valley Police Chief Scott Nichols.

“We want people to come to Sugarloaf and enjoy 138 trails of deep groomed snow and the atmosphere of our village, base lodge and hotel,” Nichols said. “What we do not want is for those seeking an extra thrill to go out beyond the established safety areas and risk their safety as well as the safety of those sent to save them. We were very fortunate last weekend that the temperature stayed in the 20s because a lot of the lost snowboarders were not equipped for an overnight stay.”

“A few of them were very wet, cold and exhausted by the time rescuers found them,” stated Nichols. “The rescuers, too, faced the same conditions and suffered from wet, cold conditions. Had the temperatures dropped to more normal 10 degrees or lower, we may be talking about a recovery mission instead of a rescue mission” said Nichols.

The decision to seek reimbursement is not only an effort to recoup the thousands of dollars it cost to conduct the rescue by both public and private entities, but also to discourage similar activity in the future.

Nichols stated that “this decision is not punitive, real costs are associated with both rescues and the danger was very real to the rescuers. By establishing this as a new policy and making it known to the public, it is hoped that those who may consider an out of bounds mountain adventure will reconsider.”