Idiot Stoner gets lost, $10K spent in rescue effort, Dad takes keys to the car

Published on April 30th, 2008

Expensive Santa Cruz Mountains search finds stoned teen

A mother’s frantic 911 plea for help finding her injured teen son lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains led to an expensive search that ended with rescuers locating the youth stoned on drugs.

Eighteen-year-old Matthew Rosenberg had used his cellular telephone Monday night to call his mom and tell her he tripped, broke his leg and was lost.

But Cal Fire Capt. Bill Finch says the Los Gatos High School senior didn’t break his leg, adding the teen had apparently swallowed hallucinogenic mushrooms, possibly dropped some acid and just “thought” his leg was broken.

Finch says the teen “was really gorked” when rescuers found him standing at the bottom of a ravine. The cost of the search was estimated at up to $10,000.

The teen’s father Mark Rosenberg says the boy will be punished, adding “he probably won’t get to use the car for a while.”

Yeah, take the car keys away for awhile, that’ll teach him. Cripes!

25 users responded in " Idiot Stoner gets lost, $10K spent in rescue effort, Dad takes keys to the car "

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# 1 JimD said, on April 30th, 2008 at 10:22 am

Make him pay for the rescue !!! “You want fries with that?” – THAT will teach him !!! And how far beyond RIPPED is GORKED ???

# 2 green said, on April 30th, 2008 at 10:27 am

Don’t mix your hallucinogens – cheaper than a PSA.

# 3 Self Appointed Genius said, on April 30th, 2008 at 10:31 am

Um, how could you possibly spend $10k on a rescue like that? He has a cell phone on him. Triangulate and send some guys to pick him up. It should be no more involved than any other EMS/fire department requiring incident.

# 4 Donuts said, on April 30th, 2008 at 10:45 am

“how could you possibly spend $10k on a rescue like that?”

First order truck loads of donuts…

It’s Government money, so it goes out really fast

# 5 julieb said, on April 30th, 2008 at 10:52 am

I’m offended by the picture. To be clear, the subject of the article was tripping on acid, not smoking pot. As someone who has done both, I know there is a huge difference.

# 6 dmstrat said, on April 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am

I would hope that I would have the strength to make my son earn a portion of that money, if not all, and then donate it to the Fire Department’s Fund since you couldn’t pay them back directly. And start off with having him sell his personally purchased vehicle to get that donation started proper.

# 7 MotaMan said, on April 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am

Yes, a more appropriate Homer would be homer tripping on Guatemalan insanity chillies. The one where he meets Johnny Cash, in the form of a fox.

# 8 Raff said, on April 30th, 2008 at 11:15 am

adding the teen had apparently swallowed hallucinogenic mushrooms, possibly dropped some acid

These things do not make someone “stoned” Gorked certainly.. but not stoned.

Plus who takes mushrooms and acid at the same time? That just sounds like a bad trip waiting to happen.

# 9 McCullough said, on April 30th, 2008 at 11:18 am

#5. julieb, Homer is smoking that giant spliff to …you know…take the edge off that 4-way hit o’ blotter.

# 10 julieb said, on April 30th, 2008 at 11:22 am

Ah, I see. Yea, I used to chain smoke weed when I was trippin. Once I thought the joint was going to swallow my whole face. Good times.

# 11 RBG said, on April 30th, 2008 at 11:25 am

3. SAG “In all, the rescue cost $5,000 to $10,000, said Finch, adding that a medical helicopter and an ambulance had to stand by while the search and rescued ensued.”

5. A scoff-law druggy is a scoff-law druggy. Next you’ll tell us you both toke & drive.

RBG

# 12 bobbo said, on April 30th, 2008 at 11:38 am

Cops should learn from the Healthcare Industry and institute the DNR system.

Do Not Rescue.

# 13 Mister Mustard said, on April 30th, 2008 at 11:41 am

“really gorked”?? “dropped some acid”?? Is that how captains in the fire department talk nowadays?

As to the $10,000, I’m not surprised. I know someone who tripped and broke their ankle and had to be taken by ambulance about 30 miles to the hospital. The bill was well over $1000, and there was no triangulation, fire engines, search, or donuts involved. That darned health care stuff can be so expensive. Thank goodness our politicians have provided us with affordable universal health care.

# 14 Improbus said, on April 30th, 2008 at 12:52 pm

When I was in college I did every hallucinogen available and didn’t have a single law enforcement problem. This “dude” is a moran and I think he got it from his parents

# 15 chuck said, on April 30th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

“gorked” – is that a medical term?
I don’t understand all this medical mumbo-jumbo.

# 16 Ron Larson said, on April 30th, 2008 at 2:11 pm

Spending tax dollars to treat idiots who put themselves in harms way. I was in SF the other day when an alcoholic bum, bleeding from a head cut was tossed out of a McDonalds for harassing customers. Outside there were 4 cops, an ambulance with 3 medics, and a full size fire truck with 4 crew. The guy was belligerent and pissing the cops off.

I stood there and watched them deal with this prick for 45 minutes. He ended up being taken to the hospital, then probably to jail. I couldn’t help but wonder to myself how much money was being wasted on this looser that day. Based on what I saw, probably north of $10k, easy.

Now if I, as an uninsured, currently unemployed, but upright citizen had fallen and cut my head, then I’d be slapped with $20k in medical bills and sued when I couldn’t pay it. That is assuming that a hospital or doctor would even see me once they figured out I don’t have insurance right now.

He, because he is a drunk street bum, gets better care than me. Sad.

# 17 OhForTheLoveOf said, on April 30th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

I hate it when marijuana, mushrooms, and acid all get a bad name in the same story…

# 18 Alpenschlawiner said, on April 30th, 2008 at 3:08 pm

It’s idiots like this who precipitate outcries for charging for rescues! There needs to be some legal action taken since using the drugs was an illegal and negligent action.

# 19 morram said, on April 30th, 2008 at 3:17 pm

Next time the kid will know better and instead of getting stoned, he’ll get drunk and kill a few people while doing a DUI

# 20 888 said, on April 30th, 2008 at 4:41 pm

Lack of responsibilty is the problem.
Seems no one takes any responsibility for anything, not even their own actions (and that goes from this stupid kid all the way up to our stupid government).

Basically for as long as there are money to be wasted – someone will waste them.
Good recession 30’s-style will purge and clean this country one day (and if it will not, then “God save us all” as old atheists also say )

# 21 Quasi said, on April 30th, 2008 at 5:29 pm

At least he was being honest when he said he tripped!

(Har)

# 22 John Paradox said, on April 30th, 2008 at 6:26 pm

Sounds like a variation on the old security system commercial:
I’m tripping, and I can’t get found!

J/P=?

# 23 every time said, on April 30th, 2008 at 6:57 pm

Well, yes, every time someone “gets stoned” in the Santa Cruz mountains, an expensive search and rescue effort has to be mounted. That’s why, whenever McCoullough’s girlfriend (or boyfriend) doesn’t put out, he can just post here and rail against “stoners” and feel better.

# 24 Elwood Pleebus said, on May 1st, 2008 at 10:48 am

I guess he wasn’t so “gorked” that he couldn’t call mommy for help.

# 25 Jon Richards said, on May 1st, 2008 at 1:34 pm

Weirdos like him give a bad name to drugs.

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