Brookline man rescued after falling on steep, icy slope in White Mountains
The man was found by Mount Washington Valley Ski Patrol in Tuckerman Ravine at around 2:45 a.m, less than three hours after he was reported missing.
A 63-year-old Brookline man was rescued early Sunday morning from a steep, icy slope in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the U.S. Forest Service said Wednesday.
The man was found by Mount Washington Valley Ski Patrol in Tuckerman Ravine at around 2:45 a.m, less than three hours after he was reported missing when he didn’t return from a summit hike.
It was -6 degrees on the summit with winds up to 50 miles per hour when he was found. The service said the climber had snow climbing experience and was adequately dressed to survive the frigid temperature, but he was missing essential equipment like crampons, an ice axe, a headlamp, or a flashlight.
The microspikes on the climber’s boots didn’t give enough traction as he descended from the peak, so he fell and suffered non-life threatening injuries, the service said. He was able to walk out with help from rescuers.
The U.S. Forest Service implored hikers to check the avalanche forecast and the summits forecast shared by the Mount Washington Avalanche Center before venturing out onto the slopes. The center’s avalanche forecast on Saturday reported “a sketchy mix of hard, icy surfaces and poorly bonded, reactive wind slabs.”
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