Rumors on social media claim a heat-weary hiker is facing a hefty bill after being airlifted off the Mist Trail. The National Park Service set the record straight.
Yosemite’s search-and-rescue team responds to about 200 to 250 calls each year for incidents ranging from heat illness and missing hikers to climbing accidents. (Photo: Michaelswoboda/Getty Images)
Published on July 21, 2026 11:14 am
By now you may have seen a viral video on social media about a woman in Yosemite National Park who was reportedly Billed for $70,000 A helicopter for rescue in 2024. The story, which involves a traveler named Grace widely disseminated This week on Instagram.
Well, Outside It turns out that much of the story—especially the huge search and rescue bill—is fake. Chelsea McCurdy, a group operator, called. hobbit hikersThe person who organized the march filmed in the video said Outside No one in his group had to pay a single penny for the rescue.
McCurdy said, “Grace or anyone in our group was not billed. The video claiming a $70,000 bill was created by a fake news account using a screen recording of my original video.” “There were no ambulance, hospital or private insurance charges as Grace was landed safely in a field in Yosemite National Park.”
Helicopter rescue in national parks and most backcountry areas is generally free, and the National Park Service (NPS) states that the federal government funds rescues inside national parks.
An NPS spokesperson said, “The National Park Service does not charge visitors for search and rescue operations.” Outside.
What happened on the hike?
McCurdy said Outside She was walking on the Grace Mist Trail, a seven-mile hike that leads past Vernal and Nevada Falls as well as up steep granite stairs. Grace had a thyroid-related medical problem and was it’s getting dark on the trail.
That’s when a group called Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR), which McCurdy said, treated Grace Fluids and IVs on the trail. Rescuers extracted Grace by hoisting the helicopter, a technical maneuver used when a pilot cannot land and instead used cables and harnesses to extract a person when it was clear she would not make it back on the two-mile walk.
McCurdy said Outside That the entire group, including Grace, continued hiking and camping together for the rest of the week.
“We are all still friends and any claims to the contrary are absolutely false,” he said. “All claims made are completely false – fake news accounts steal content to generate views based on lies.”
National Park Rescues are free
National parks do not charge people for rescues regardless of the circumstances. Most backcountry areas of the US follow a similar policy.
“Whether you’re going to help a hiker who has no headlamp and just needs a little help getting back to the trailhead after dark, or doing a complex multi-day search in the backcountry, there’s never a duty to rescue people,” Lauren Delaunay MillerA former YOSAR volunteer told Outside. “We will regularly reassure people that they will not be charged for rescue services.”
Does Yosemite charge for rescues?
Yosemite search and rescue team responds approximately 200 to 250 Every year there are calls for incidents ranging from heat-related illnesses and missing hikers to mountaineering accidents. The Mist Trail often attracts large crowds and challenges hikers with partial to full exposure and steep stone stairs.
Delaunay Miller said Yosemite officials did not make the decision to use helicopters lightly. Responders consider a variety of factors such as the patient’s medical condition, terrain, ground evacuation risks, and the availability of rescue resources and personnel – not assumptions about one’s presence or fitness. Delaunay Mill said that rescuers probably opted for air evacuation because they believed it was unsafe to walk or carry him outside.
Helicopter rescue operations in the US are a costly endeavor for search and rescue groups. Depending on the aircraft, time of flight, medical assistance provided, and destination, trail rescue can easily cost thousands of dollars.
But a national park rescue helicopter and a private medical air ambulance differ in policies and funding allocations and the NPS states usa The agency pays for search and rescue from its operating funds. The park pays for rescues costing less than $500, while the federally funded National Search and Rescue Account covers rescues costing more than $500. 2020 policy
