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Hypothermic hiker rescued near Mount Washington
Rescuers used the Mount Washington Cog Railway to reach the hiker, who was identified as a Texas woman.
A hiker suffering from hypothermia was rescued amidst dangerous winds and freezing temperatures in the White Mountains near Mount Washington Friday, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game department.
The rescue occurred on the Gulfside Trail about one mile north of the Mount Washington Cog Railway train tracks, between Mount Washington and Mount Jefferson. At around 5 p.m., rescue teams received a 911 call from the hiker’s husband, who said that she was unable to move or communicate. Officials identified the hiker as Caroline Wilson, a 55-year-old from Austin, Texas.
Rescue teams contacted workers at the Cog Railway, who facilitated an ascent up the mountain. This saved rescuers from having to hike for more than three miles up the Jewell Trail in rainy, windy conditions, officials said. After disembarking the train, rescuers still had to hike for more than a mile in difficult conditions.
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The first team of rescuers took the train up at 7 p.m., followed by a second team at 8 p.m. The first team reached Wilson and set up a temporary shelter in order to warm her up. After the second team arrived, she was placed in a litter and carried back to the train, officials said.
Wilson was eventually transferred to an ambulance at the base of the mountain and transported to Littleton Regional Healthcare for treatment.
Conditions around Mount Washington were dangerous on Friday. Officials said that winds reached 120 mph and temperatures plummeted to around 20 degrees during the day on the summit. They received multiple calls reporting hypothermic hikers throughout the Presidential Range. Mount Washington State Park personnel, Mount Washington Auto Road personnel, Appalachian Mountain Club crew members, and various good samaritans helped those in trouble.
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The Fish and Game Department thanked Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, Pemigewassett Valley Search and Rescue, Mountain Rescue Services, and the Cog Railway in a statement.
“The weather was not great and the conditions were potentially life threatening, but each group responded to the call for assistance and endured less than hospitable weather conditions to save the life of this hiker,” officials said.
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