jno - "we shouldn't confuse stupid and ignorant. People may simply not know things."
I was composing the same response, word for word, when i camr across your post.
We cannot penalise people financially for simply not knowing something that others may take for granted, and this is a case in point.
So no, they were not a bunch of idiots, no they shouldnot be made to pay the cost of their rescue, and yes, they should ber given some salient advice for the future, but advice, not a finger-wagging lecture.