Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket • Hacker News Board

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#31

Post by WarmWash » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 2:33 PM UTC

skilled wrote: post #10

I did the Everest base camp trek in late 2015, at that time it was quite common (saw it myself and heard about it) that people would do the trek up but to get down they would fake a leg/back injury or blame altitude sickness and the chopper from Kathmandu would come pick you up, as long as you had the right insurance.

Surely the insurers would quickly become aware of this, I mean, there are people whose job it is to monitor all claims and adjust prices accordingly.

So while it might feel like the insurers were getting fleeced, it was almost certainly the insured who didn't get the copter ride.

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#32

Post by ddlatham » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 2:35 PM UTC

MikeNotThePope wrote: post #20

bombcar wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder how much a chopper ride would cost at "reasonable rates" (e.g, not the air ambulance but just a chopper).

I can tell you exactly what it cost for me. I took the helicopter from Gorakshep, the highest/last town on the EBC trek, to Lukla, the crazy airport people call the most dangerous one in the world. For me, a 255 lbs / 115kg guy, 2 Nepalis that are each half my size, a pilot, and our not-that-heavy hiking gear was 2000 USD in October of 2024. Pics/video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBTpLGtydZW/

probably mean 255 lb / 115kg

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#33

Post by meroes » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 2:45 PM UTC

delichon wrote: post #25

> But guides and hotel staff ... tell them they are at risk of dying, that only immediate evacuation will save them. I got Acute Mountain Sickness at just 11k feet. Headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue. I passed out until hitting the ground woke me up. I was very disoriented and vulnerable. If someone had told me that I had to get to a hospital or I'd die they could have led me like a tame goat. And they could be rig…

Ya that was a very serious situation for you. I knew when my dad was barely able to stand but insisted we hike the 1000ft back up to then get back down it was also serious. But when we got home I read how deadly altitude sickness is.

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#34

Post by jasonmp85 » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 2:54 PM UTC

[dead]

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#35

Post by psadri » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 2:59 PM UTC

I did the EBC trek last year and at ~4400 meters, we heard about a local Nepalese woman dying from complications of AMS in the local clinic. There might be fishy things going on with the rescues, but the health risks are real.

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#36

Post by throwway120385 » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 3:07 PM UTC

paxys wrote: post #16

bombcar wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder how much a chopper ride would cost at "reasonable rates" (e.g, not the air ambulance but just a chopper).

I'm assuming less than the average ambulance ride in the USA

From personal experience it's about twice the cost of an ambulance ride from my house to the hospital. Air ambulances here are about 10 times as much.

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#37

Post by throwway120385 » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 3:11 PM UTC

simojo wrote: post #29

miltonlost wrote: post #22

Stop pointlessly climbing mountains and ruining the natural environment. Climbing Mt Everest at this point is just a sign of conspicuous consumption and not any achievement other than financial. Would have been better to spend your money lighting it on fire.

to be fair, the approach is usually covered in snowpack for most of the year, so impact is minimal by foot traffic. However, most of the protection is fixed, which could have lasting effects if something were to rip out. For other mountains with dry summits in the summers, I would agree: the effects of erosion are frightening

Do people still leave oxygen bottles up there? And what do they do with all of their excrement?

The saying is that the snowpack gives back everything you put in it.

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#38

Post by bell-cot » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 3:18 PM UTC

WarmWash wrote: post #31

skilled wrote: post #10

I did the Everest base camp trek in late 2015, at that time it was quite common (saw it myself and heard about it) that people would do the trek up but to get down they would fake a leg/back injury or blame altitude sickness and the chopper from Kathmandu would come pick you up, as long as you had the right insurance.

Surely the insurers would quickly become aware of this, I mean, there are people whose job it is to monitor all claims and adjust prices accordingly. So while it might feel like the insurers were getting fleeced, it was almost certainly the insured who didn't get the copter ride.

Not an insurance underwriter - but wouldn't the obvious counter-move be to exclude coverage for medical assistance/transportation when you're climbing mountains overseas, spelunking, within X miles of the north or south pole, traveling in a submarine, or have otherwise ventured into "high-dollar extraction" territory?

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#39

Post by sonink » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 3:20 PM UTC

> The second method is more troubling. At altitudes above 3,000 metres, mild symptoms of altitude sickness are common. Blood oxygen saturation can drop, hands and feet tingle, headaches develop. In most cases, rest, hydration or a gradual descent is all that is needed. ...investigators found that Diamox (Acetazolamide) tablets, used to prevent altitude sickness, were administered alongside excessive water intake to induce the very symptoms that would justify a rescue call.

This doesnt sound accurate. I have trekked the Himalayas for over a decade - the risks of AMS are very real. Two people I have trekked with have died due to AMS on separate himalayan treks - both had trekked multiple times before, and were well aware of the risks. Both the fatalities were around 12000-14000 feet - much below the Everest Base Camp trek. When AMS hits, you need to descend - as fast as possible, with whatever means you have at your disposal. Otherwise you have unknowingly entered a Russian Roulette.

And Diamox is used as a preventative course for AMS - alongside excessive water intake - this is standard guidelines in all high altitude himalayan treks.

Re: Inside Nepal's Fake Rescue Racket

#40

Post by trillic » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 3:24 PM UTC

bell-cot wrote: post #38

WarmWash wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Surely the insurers would quickly become aware of this, I mean, there are people whose job it is to monitor all claims and adjust prices accordingly. So while it might feel like the insurers were getting fleeced, it was almost certainly the insured who didn't get the copter ride.

Not an insurance underwriter - but wouldn't the obvious counter-move be to exclude coverage for medical assistance/transportation when you're climbing mountains overseas, spelunking, within X miles of the north or south pole, traveling in a submarine, or have otherwise ventured into "high-dollar extraction" territory?

Priced into the premium. It's not your run of the mill health insurance.