Daredevil Steve Fossett has incurred a large debt related to his disappearance and the subsequent search and rescue last fall. Nevada officials are looking for some way to get reimbursed for the $687,000 that was spent trying to find him and his plane; that search came up with several other wreakages, however, Steve Fossett and his plane was never found. I remember hearing at the time of his disappearance, news reports wondering if Mr. Fossett purposely disappeared. That is a mystery, like the disappearance of Amelia Earhart; we may never know exactly what happened.
His family ended up having him declared legally dead in February of this year. Mr. Fossett set many daredevil records over the years…he dreamed of breaking barriers and setting records. He was a hero to many who admire the example he set for those who like the extreme excitement they get by pushing the boundaries. Do you think that his family should be responsible for the expenses that the search and rescue attempt cost the state of Nevada?
Update: October 1, 2008 Today there are reports that, a little more than a year after Mr. Steve Fossett disappeared, some of his personal property has been found. A hiker has turned in to the police, some pieces of ID, and a pilots license, and a little over $1,000 dollars cash. An extra large black pullover fleece was also found in the same general area. This discovery was on the trail near the town of Mammoth Lakes, California.
Update: October 2, 2008 It has been confirmed that a plane crash site was located near the area where the ID, personal items, and cash were found; and it is indeed the plane that Mr. Fossett was flying. There was no full body found. There was a small amount of human remains found in that in that area that will be tested for Mr. Fossett’s DNA. Madera County sheriff said that the crash was so bad that he doubted that anyone could have survived the impact.
Write where you are 
I think Steve Fossett family should pay for the search. It’s not like they don’t have the money. The guy had millions. They won’t miss it. Nevada can do something else the that money.
I dont think his family should have to pay, this is something that is done for anyone who is missing, apparently they found other wreckage so even though they didnt find Mr. Fossett, they did benefit from the search- dont go pouring salt into the Fossett family wounds by asking them to pay for what is free to everyone else.
The Fossett estate should NOT be asked to reimburst Nevada for the expense of the search. That is a what those agencies are there to do. they used up $600,000 while looking for him, it’s not as if it was a group that was formed from scratch to start looking for him and had to go out and buy a bunch of supplies, it’s an agency that has search teams and they go out as part of their job and search. 8 hours a shift then some other people come in and search during their shift. Those same search employees when they are not searching are in the field office doing paperwork.
Do you pay a firefighter to sit around the fire station to cook chili? No! “Oh, you want me to go out and fight a fire? That’ll be extra.”
And I don’t agree with Phillis Diller that just because he has some money it’s no big deal and he should pay for the search is nonsense! I’m sure he has paid much more that that in the form of property taxes or on his income.