Teen lifeguard gets $2,600 bill for saving drowning boy's life

Teen lifeguard gets $2,600 bill for saving drowning boy's life

now.msn.com

ohn Clark has learned that not only are good deeds sometimes punished, they also may come with a hefty price tag. The 17-year-old lifeguard at Oregon’s Rockaway Beach heard a 12-year-old boy screaming for help last month after the swimmer was pulled out by the rough surf. Clark swam out to rescue the boy, and when the ambulance arrived, he climbed in. "I couldn't just let the kid go," he said. Clark's selfless decisions earned him a $2,600 bill from Tillamook County General Hospital...

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The emergency room bill came to $449. The physician's bill was $227. The 15-mile ride in the ambulance to Tillamook: $1,907. The total bill for saving a young man's life? Nearly $2,600.

Who hires lifeguards and doesn't provider medical insurance? Two anonymous people step up and pay it for him. Because the lifeguard was off-duty, he get's stuck with the medical bill for rescuing a drowning 12-year old. Next time you see someone drowning, ask yourself this - can I afford to rescue them?

Only in America - home of the "best" health care in the world.

now.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

No good deed goes unpunished.

I could see the total bill being deferred to another party...but who knows, i still have difficulty understanding US medical policy as i am sure a lot of people do. It always seems to change and be relatively fluid to make exceptions or in-turn make no exceptions.

With public attention, the hospital may "Good will" these charges to resolve the issue.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


link

John Clark is a lifeguard at the Firstenburg Community Center pool and the Marshall Community Center in Vancouver. He's the youngest of nine kids; his family is trying to make arrangements to get the bill paid.

He wasnt a hired lifeguard at that beach, he is a lifeguard at the city pool. He jumped in on his own accord, yes it was a brave thing to do but it wasnt his job.
It says that he had a "headache", who takes an ambulance to the hospital for a headache?

reply to post by Juggernog


If you hit your head and you get a headache you better go to the doc. Certain brain injuries present themselves first as a headache.

He didn't get billed for saving the boy. He got billed because he went to the hospital too and got treatment.

But I couldn't just let the kid go -- I had to do something."

He did the good deed. If he would've left it at that he'd be fine.

Originally posted by antonia
reply to post by Juggernog

 

If you hit your head and you get a headache you better go to the doc. Certain brain injuries present themselves first as a headache.

So, the pounding waves gave him a concussion?

Originally posted by Juggernog
reply to post by Blackmarketeer

 

link

John Clark is a lifeguard at the Firstenburg Community Center pool and the Marshall Community Center in Vancouver. He's the youngest of nine kids; his family is trying to make arrangements to get the bill paid.

He wasnt a hired lifeguard at that beach, he is a lifeguard at the city pool. He jumped in on his own accord, yes it was a brave thing to do but it wasnt his job.
It says that he had a "headache", who takes an ambulance to the hospital for a headache?

Would you say the same if you were the one in distress, and this 17 year old was the only one around to help you?

Going to the hospital for a headache....heard of a concussion before? I have read of examples were a individual hits his/her head, shrugs it off as only a minor headache is present and drops dead hours later from internal bleeding. Could it be the same for this care? Who knows, but would you risk it?

Well its not fair, but i would still pay it.

I am trained in swimming safety and if I saved a life(I have actually saved two swimmers and have been saved once myself, not that I am bragging) and was still slapped with a bill then I would still say "Money well spent".

If i was absolutely forced to pay the bill of someone i saved, then i would do it. Its emotionally a lot better then having to dive in and knowing that a life a depends on you and if you fail...

Well lets just say that, for a life guard, having to pay money is inconsequential when compared to the responsibilities one has to abide by.


I would like to add that I have never gotten a thank you for saving those people and I was actaully fired once because of the inter-politics.

I never, have ever, regretted it.

Originally posted by Juggernog

Originally posted by antonia
reply to post by Juggernog

 

If you hit your head and you get a headache you better go to the doc. Certain brain injuries present themselves first as a headache.

So, the pounding waves gave him a concussion?

Its called the sea floor.

You are just being argumentative at this point

Originally posted by Juggernog

Originally posted by antonia
reply to post by Juggernog

 

If you hit your head and you get a headache you better go to the doc. Certain brain injuries present themselves first as a headache.

So, the pounding waves gave him a concussion?

Yea, the ocean has enough force to do that.

Originally posted by antonia

Originally posted by Juggernog

Originally posted by antonia
reply to post by Juggernog

 

If you hit your head and you get a headache you better go to the doc. Certain brain injuries present themselves first as a headache.

So, the pounding waves gave him a concussion?

Yea, the ocean has enough force to do that.

um, i dont think so. maybe if you dive in from say 15 feet or so but not swimming in the surf.
Ive swam in the surf many times and in many sea conditions and not once have I gotten a concussion from the swells.

Oh well, forget it.
He still wasnt a hired lifeguard, so at this point hes just a citizen that did a good deed, maybe someone will step up and pay his bill but he shouldnt expect it just because.

Instead of blowing this out or proportion, let's look at the facts:
He complained of a headache, so they took him to the hospital to get checked out.he could have refused, but didn't. He was examined in the ER, then released. He became a patient and was treated as a patient. If he had went along for the ride to make sure the kid was okay then billed for the ride, I can see an issue with the bill.
Now, don't get me wrong, the kid is a hero for saving the other kids life, and wouldn't have needed to go to the ER if he didnt try to save the other kid, but he was in fact taken to the hospital as a patient, not because he tried to save the other boys life. Hopefully the hospital does waive the bill, but I doubt it.

A good Samaritan should not be financially penalized for risking his life to save another.

We even have some "good Samaritan" laws on the books that state you cannot stand by and watch someone die without taking "appropriate" action, but when you are then slapped with a hospital bill (seriously, a $1,900 ambulance ride?) for said action... it's nonsense that will make anyone think twice about assisting the next potential accident victim.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Almost 2 grand for an ambulance is outright ridiculous. Extortion even. WTF does it run on, jet fuel?

Originally posted by HomerinNC
Instead of blowing this out or proportion, let's look at the facts:
He complained of a headache, so they took him to the hospital to get checked out.he could have refused, but didn't. He was examined in the ER, then released. He became a patient and was treated as a patient. If he had went along for the ride to make sure the kid was okay then billed for the ride, I can see an issue with the bill.
Now, don't get me wrong, the kid is a hero for saving the other kids life, and wouldn't have needed to go to the ER if he didnt try to save the other kid, but he was in fact taken to the hospital as a patient, not because he tried to save the other boys life. Hopefully the hospital does waive the bill, but I doubt it.

At 17 years old were you fully aware of the costs incurred with going to a hospital? Maybe a vague understanding that it could be "expensive". His head hurt and wasnt to sure why, the EMT's maybe convinced him he should go.

At that age, not many teens would think of the consequences of performing either action, saving the person or the hospital bills.

reply to post by MDDoxs

Going to the hospital for a headache....heard of a concussion before? I have read of examples were a individual hits his/her head, shrugs it off as only a minor headache is present and drops dead hours later from internal bleeding. Could it be the same for this care? Who knows, but would you risk it?

Liam Neeson's wife Natasha Richardson died just like that, after hitting her head in a skiing accident and complaining of a headache, she didn't go to the hospital until too late. The lifeguard's headache could have been a sign of hypothermia.

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


Steal money from a hero???...I cursed those $2600 bucks now.

Originally posted by Trueman
reply to post by Blackmarketeer

 

Steal money from a hero???...I cursed those $2600 bucks now.

Heroes don't care about money, it inconsequential. He is just glad he saved a life, even if he thinks it is unfair that he got fined.

He will never regret it.

reply to post by Juggernog


just cause you are superman, and never got a head injury swimming in the ocean, doesnt mean it cant happen. Yawn.. What ignorance.