Switzerland is a mecca for high-risk sports. If foreign guests leave without having paid rescue and hospital costs, in the worst-case scenario the costs are borne by municipalities. Lauterbrunnen in canton Bern attracts base jumpers from all over the world – around 70 have had fatal accidents to date. Serious accidents also regularly occur in mountain sports, bungee jumping, canyoning and downhill mountain biking in other regions. These are expensive: the average bill for an Air-Glaciers rescue mission is CHF3,600 ($4,522) but can reach CHF5,000 or more for complex rescues. A long hospital stay is even more costly. Uncovered costs Guests from third countries in particular are not always sufficiently insured. If they go abroad after a rescue or treatment without having paid the bills, hospitals, rescue services or cantons and municipalities are sometimes left with the costs. A little over ten years ago, the village of Alpthal in canton Schwyz, with a population of 600, had to pay a ...
