Mass. couple missing in White Mountains...FOUND but one dead

Fosters.com said:

FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) — Rescuers interrupted their search of Mount Lafayette on Monday night and planned to return Tuesday morning to look for a missing middle-aged man and woman from Massachusetts.

Fish and Game Lt. Todd Bogardus said the unidentified couple from Andover, Mass., was due home Sunday night.

He said Fish and Game, Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue and a National Guard helicopter took part in the effort, hampered by 75 mph winds and below-freezing temperatures.

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http://www4.fosters.com/news2004/March2004/March_23/News/reg_nh_0323.04c.asp said:

Report: Massachusetts couple found alive in White Mountains
FRANCONIA, N.H. (AP) — A Massachusetts couple that had planned a one-day hike in the White Mountains were found alive Tuesday, surviving two nights in subzero temperatures and a snowstorm.

A National Guard helicopter spotted Russell and Brenda Cox of Andover on Tuesday just before 10 a.m. near the summit of the 5,249-foot Mount Lafayette. The two had failed to return home after a day hike Sunday.

"I’m just really excited," said Neil Thompson, Brenda Cox’s son.

The couple, both 43, made a shelter out of snow on Sunday night during a storm. They kept walking Monday, finally stopping at night to take shelter near a rock formation, Fish and Game Lt. Todd Bogardus said.

Both were suffering from hypothermia; Mrs. Cox’s case was more advanced and she was unconscious, Bogardus said. Cox, who was shaking and was wrapped in blankets, was able to use his hands and drink water as he waited for an ambulance to take him to a hospital.

The couple had hiked Mount Lafayette several times, including in the winter, Bogardus said. Even with their experience, though, such a hike would be "challenging" with the wind and snow, he said.

"They know what they’re doing," Steve Wannamaker, Brenda Cox’s brother, said before the couple was found. "They both have too much sense to wander off. They know to stay together and stay warm."

About 30 volunteers, including mountain guides, search and rescue teams and helicopters, resumed searching trails and drainages after battling hip-deep snowdrifts on Monday. Over a foot of snow fell Sunday night, covering up any tracks, and the wind chill made it feel like 60 degrees below zero.

It was clear and sunny on Tuesday, with a temperature of 15 degrees at the base of the mountain.

The couple, who work in electronics, are avid hikers and outdoorspeople, Bogardus said. They have two sons; one of them called police Sunday night after the couple didn’t come home.

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wmur.com said:

Woman Dies After Mountain Rescue
Husband Suffers From Hypothermia

POSTED: 10:44 am EST March 23, 2004
UPDATED: 12:26 pm EST March 23, 2004

FRANCONIA, N.H. -- An Andover, Mass., woman died Tuesday after being rescued from a mountain where she and her husband were stranded for two nights.

Brenda Cox was unconscious and suffering from severe hypothermia when she was rescued by helicopter from 5,249-foot Mount Lafayette around 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Her husband, Russell Cox, was taken from the mountain shortly before her and was reportedly also suffering from hypothermia. Russell Cox was able to drink water while he waited for an ambulance.

The couple, both 43, made a shelter out of snow on Sunday night during a storm. They kept walking Monday, finally stopping at night to take shelter near a rock formation, Fish and Game Lt. Todd Bogardus said.

The couple had hiked Mount Lafayette several times, including in the winter, Bogardus said. Even with their experience, though, such a hike would be "challenging" with the wind and snow, he said.

"They know what they're doing," Steve Wannamaker, Brenda Cox's brother, said before the couple was found. "They both have too much sense to wander off. They know to stay together and stay warm."

About 30 volunteers, including mountain guides, search and rescue teams and helicopters, resumed searching trails and drainages after battling hip-deep snowdrifts on Monday. Over a foot of snow fell Sunday night, covering up any tracks, and the wind chill made it feel like 60 degrees below zero.

It was clear and sunny on Tuesday, with a temperature of 15 degrees at the base of the mountain.

The couple, who work in electronics, are avid hikers and outdoorspeople, Bogardus said. They have two sons; one of them called police Sunday night after the couple didn't come home.

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Fosters.com said:

Winter mountain hiking prevails despite weather risks
BY KATE McCANN

Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The death of a Massachusetts woman — and others before her — during a winter hike hindered by bad weather in the White Mountains begs the question: Why take such a chance?

There are a lot of plusses, said Mike Pelchat, a state parks officer — clear days with great visibility, smooth, hard-packed trails and hikers of a higher caliber who respect nature.

And, yes, the risks involved with winter sports are inviting, too.

"There are more risks, that is part of the allure, it’s part of the attraction," Pelchat said.

Such risks can be minimized with experience and equipment, outdoor enthusiasts say.

Brenda and Russell Cox, of Andover, Mass., planned a day hike Sunday on Mount Lafayette, on a trail they had hiked before. They were expected back Sunday night, but were stranded by subzero temperatures and a snowstorm. The couple were found Tuesday morning. Mrs. Cox had already died, said Pelchat, who was part of the rescue crew.

When she was found, she was wearing summer hiking boots, wind pants and a medium-weight coat with parts of her skin exposed, said Pelchat, who was with the rescue team that found the Coxes.

The Coxes had an ice-axe, snowshoes with crampons and small day packs. Pelchat said hikers should always carry a tarp and a foam pad to sit on. They should wear layers and bring a hood for storm gear. The extra pound or two of equipment, or even just properly buttoning and zipping yourself up, can make the difference, he said.

A Massachusetts ice hiker was trapped in an avalanche and stranded for a night on Mount Washington over the weekend. Cheryl Wallace, 42, and a friend from Canada survived the night by digging a trench, putting on extra clothes and eating chocolate, nuts and sandwiches.

The Appalachian Mountain Club offers courses for winter mountaineering, including how to construct different kinds of snow shelters and how to read avalanche terrain. Winter sports have grown in popularity in recent years, thanks to improvements in gear like metal snowshoes and fabrics that allow people to travel lighter and stay warmer, said club spokesman Rob Burbank.

But Mother Nature is a formidable foe, and even the best prepared can become her next victim. The Coxes were also experienced hikers and competed in endurance trials.

"There have been situations where people have been very well-prepared but the weather has been terribly inhospitable," Burbank said.

A 37-year-old Mount Monadnock park ranger and trained rescue worker, camping with a tent and stove, froze to death in January when temperatures unexpectedly fell to minus 44 degrees with a wind chill of 100 degrees below zero in the White Mountains.

"For people who go out in these extreme conditions, there’s a drive that’s very difficult to understand," said park officer Don Davis after his colleague died. "It compels them to move on and go out into the elements. It’s part of their lifestyle."

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cptchris said:

But still bring a compass case batteries fail . please .

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cptchris said:

tragic

I really think they could have "both " got down alive by use of "good compass and map skills . What do you think ?

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coberg said:

Check the weather?

I have to say I think even though they were "experienced" doesn't mean much. If I do something 1000 times, but every time I do it wrong, does that make me "experienced" enough to be an expert? The weather changes rapidly, we all know that, but you have to check it anyway, right before you leave. Especially in Winter. The temps were not a surprise, so I have to question their judgement. And at the same time offer my condolences. This was unfortunate, but as I've said before, avoidable.

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cptchris said:

gps

this is even better good point !!! this is good ,thinking of ways to save lives .!! But still bring a compass case batteries fail . please .

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cptchris said:

taking back berings

If I know conditions will be questionable, wich they did I allways take back berings on the way up ,to aviod dangerous places like cliffs ,in case I`m whited out. Use approx. time and dist. to get down. Just trying to help. in the whites I feel 1000 feet of decent done in 1 hr. or less will prob. save your life.

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