Three Mass. hikers rescued from dangerous snow in N.H.
“The group was fairly well prepared for winter conditions but lacked experience above treeline.”
By Dialynn Dwyer, Boston. com February 10, 2025
Three hikers from Massachusetts were rescued Sunday in New Hampshire after they encountered whiteout conditions and suffered cold-related injuries, officials said.
Authorities received an SOS alert from a Garmin device in the area of Mount Lincoln around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in a statement. Officials learned from the emergency contacts listed for the device that three men from Massachusetts embarked around 9 a.m. on a winter hike on the Falling Waters/Bridle Path Loop.
“Eventually it was learned from the group that they were experiencing whiteout conditions and suffering from cold related injuries, eventually stating [through] text that they needed help,” officials said. “Tracking of the device showed that they were slowly moving towards the summit of Mount Lafayette.”
Rescuers began hiking up the Old Bridle Path around 7:30 p.m., reaching the hikers around 9:10 p.m. just below the Greenleaf Hut. The rescuers and hikers returned back down to the trailhead around 10:20 p.m., officials said.
The hikers — a 24-year-old from Boston, a 24-year-old from Cambridge, and a 25-year-old from Boston — told rescuers that deep snow and whiteout conditions made it difficult for them to follow the trail and that they determined after going over Mount Lincoln that turning back wasn’t prudent with the conditions.
“Admittedly they panicked when they activated the SOS on their device but they knew it would take hours for rescuers to get to their location,” officials said. “The group was fairly well prepared for winter conditions but lacked experience above treeline. This was a training hike for Mount Washington which is now put on hold.”
New Hampshire authorities said the three men had Hike Safe cards, which generally protect hikers from having to pay for a rescue, even if they acted negligently.
Last week, two Massachusetts women were rescued from the upper slopes of Mount Washington after they became stranded in chest-deep snow and whiteout conditions.
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