Sugarloaf won’t ask teens to pay Lost snowboarders may perform public service

WATERVILLE – Sugarloaf USA has decided against making two teen-agers reimburse part of the costs of a search that was launched after they got lost on part of the mountain that was off-limits.

“We are not pressing charges for the expense, but we are speaking to the parents about some appropriate public service,” said Cheryl Fullerton, a spokeswoman for the ski resort at Carrabassett Valley.

Matt Picurro, 17, and Kevin O’Heir, 18, both of Waterville, were lost for more than 20 hours on the back side of Sugarloaf after they snowboarded in an area that was off limits because of poor visibility.

The teens climbed back to safety Sunday afternoon after a night in which the temperature dipped to 12 degrees on the summit.

In February 2000, Sugarloaf was faced with a similar situation when two Bangor teen-agers got lost after snowboarding in an off-limits area. That incident ended when the two snowboarders found their way back to safety six hours after they were reported lost.

In that case, the resort considered but never acted on a plan to charge the teen-agers $750 for the expense Sugarloaf incurred for the search.

Fullerton said the resort’s main concern is to educate the public about the dangers people face when they use closed or off-limits areas of the mountain.

“We are certainly extremely grateful for the positive outcome last weekend,” Fullerton said, “but I’m told everybody is saying they were asking for it.”

Fullerton said the resort already has taken away the Waterville teen-agers’ season lift passes for the rest of the current season.

Fullerton said details of the public-service proposal have yet to be determined. She said one possibility is that the boys might be asked to visit schools to talk to students about their experience.

The boys’ parents have been cooperative about the discipline plan, Fullerton said. She said on Wednesday one parent brought cookies to the resort’s ski patrol as a token of appreciation.

Fullerton said Sugarloaf prefers not to disclose its search-related expenses, but said its expenses were trivial compared to the Maine Warden Service’s tab.

The Maine Warden Service used about 20 wardens and an airplane in its rescue mission. Wardens estimated its search cost to be as high as $20,000, but has not determined whether it will bill the snowboarders.