Vermont State Senator Kevin Mullin has introduced . The bill is in response to the estimated 50 people who have required rescue this winter after skiing out of bounds and getting lost.
Mullin鈥檚 district contains and ski resorts. Most of the 鈥渓ost鈥 skiers were at Killington:
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of it this year, especially at Killington, and it鈥檚 quite costly when we鈥檙e sending out rescue teams to find people,鈥 Mullin said.聽
鈥淣obody goes out of bounds thinking that they鈥檙e going to get lost,鈥 he said, 鈥渂ut inevitably it happens and I just think it would be helpful to have a sign that says, 鈥業t is a crime to ski out of bounds鈥….鈥
The bill is expected to be discussed by the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee next week. Mullin and committee chairman Richard Sears both have stressed that the burden falls on the skiers, and not the resorts.
鈥淲hose responsibility is it when (skiers) choose to do something reckless?鈥 Sears said. 鈥淚 remember playing golf down in Florida and seeing a sign: 鈥榃ater moccasins.鈥 Well, I gotta tell you, when I dropped the ball in that pond, I didn鈥檛 go looking for it.鈥