Heroes of the Week: NH Fish and Game, Randolph Mtn Club and National Guard Rescue Hiker

There are a lot of heroes this week who came together to rescue a man in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, two caretakers from the Randolph Mountain Club’s Gray Knob hut, and the National Guard Blackhawk Helicopter crew all came together to rescue a well-equipped and knowledgeable hiker who accidentally broke his leg while climbing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

 

(Photo: Mount Adams (5,794 ft) and Jefferson (5,712 ft)  by Grant Ritter | Oct 26, 2013) 

Hiker with ‘severely’ broken leg airlifted from White Mountains 

By Ross Cristantiello, May 29, 2024

A Connecticut man suffered a “severely” broken leg while hiking in New Hampshire, crawling more than three-tenths of a mile before he was found by rescuers and airlifted to safety.

At about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department received an emergency signal from a satellite device being used on the Edmands Col Cutoff Trail in Thompson & Meserves Purchase. No additional information could be broadcast via the satellite device, but a 911 call came in shortly afterward from the same location. The call was brief, and it was dropped before officials could learn anything more than the fact that a hiker had a serious injury.

The signal and the call were made by Andrew Davis, 27, of West Hartford, according to NH Fish and Game. He is described as an “avid” hiker who has completed the Appalachian Trail and is familiar with the White Mountains. Davis was in possession of a Hike Safe card and had all the proper gear for camping in the mountains.

His broken leg was the result of an accident, not negligence, officials said. He contacted authorities from a spot on the exposed ridgeline between Mount Jefferson and Mount Adams, four-and-a-half miles from the nearest road.

Since NH Fish and Game had no ability to confirm the nature of the injury or whether it was life-threatening, the department requested help from the National Guard. A crew was quickly assembled, and a Blackhawk helicopter took off from Concord just after 3 p.m. in search of the injured hiker.

In the meantime, two caretakers from the Randolph Mountain Club’s Gray Knob hut were contacted. They volunteered to hike up to the ridge and attempt to find the hiker. At the same time, conservation officers were hiking up to the location with a litter along Lowe’s Path.

Not long after the Blackhawk took off, the RMC caretakers found Davis. They discovered that he had crawled away from where he had been injured, at the junction of Randolph Path, Gulfside Trail, and Edmonds Col Cutoff.

The Blackhawk arrived and landed at the location around 3:40 p.m. Davis was loaded into the helicopter and brought to Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin. The help from the National Guard was crucial, officials with NH Fish and Game said.

“The National Guard helicopter saved dozens of potential rescuers from having to hike several miles and carry the injured hiker through difficult and dangerous terrain. This evolution would have likely lasted well into the early morning hours. Requesting assistance from the National Guard is not taken for granted and is only utilized in the most urgent or potentially life-threatening situations,” the department said in a statement.