Rescue from the last week of Summer...

[Mike P.]

From www.wmur.com

GREEN'S GRANT, N.H. -- Authorities said Thursday they don't know if a hiker from Quebec will survive a mishap on Mount Washington.

Officials said the unidentified man suffered from severe hypothermia. Investigators were still trying to piece together what happened, but they said a group of hikers who ran into trouble apparently stole a car and drove to the region's highest peak to seek shelter from the elements.

Authorities said the group left from Pinkham Notch at about 1 p.m. Wednesday, apparently not anticipating the changing weather that often occurs on the mountain.

"There was no preparation, no proper equipment," said Lt. Todd Bogardus of the Fish and Game Department. "The mountain has to be taken seriously."

The weather turned to ice and snow, and one of the hikers passed out from hypothermia, officials said. In order to find help, one of the hikers kept climbing.

Officials said the hiker reached the summit, where he stole he car. He then went back to the hiking party, and instead of taking them down the mountain, they all went back to the summit, investigators said.

The hikers broke a window and two doors to get into the summit coach house, investigators said. Inside, they wrapped themselves in clothing from the gift shop and called 911.

Rescuers reached the summit by midnight after fighting through snow and freezing rain. The injured man was taken to Elliot Hospital in Manchester, where officials listed his condition as grave.

Bogardus said the men may have to pay for the damage they caused. He said that hikers in trouble on the mountain should not think of the summit as a safe haven.

MAP - A NOTE ON VFFT FROM THE MWO ALSO CONVEYED THAT THEY ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DO RESCUES & IT'S HARD TO HEAR PEOPLE OUTSIDE WHEN THE WIND IS HOWLING. (Caps so you see my comments not the article)

 

[Mike P.]

My initial take on this beyong hoping the injured hiker recovers, is that they made several minor errors in judgement (& a couple not so minor) that snowballed into the situaton that developed.

We have all hiked in the rain,
We have all hiked with Cotton clothing at some point in our lives
Most of us have hiked with the expectation we might finish in the dark
Most have planned & done a trip that ended up harder then they thought it would be
Most have started a hike later then they probably should have or in the afternoon
Most of us have done a hike with a light expecting we would finish (long) before sunset
Most of us have either not set a turn around time or went beyond it a bit becuase we were close to the top
All of us have done a hike when we knew we would get out in time (maybe in July when it's warm) so we did not bring a shelter or enough clothing to survive an unexpected night out comfortably

When all of these things happen to you, your odds get pretty slim of getting out without something else happening.

In some places like Huntington Ravine, King Ravine or the slide on North Tripyramid once you get 1/2 up, it appears (& probably is) that it's easier if not smarter (may be smarter too) to ascend the rest of the way & then come down a safer easier way.

If I could only give one bit of advice to new or novice day hikers, it would be to pick (& stick to) a turn around time that gets you back to your car in plenty of time before dark.

By doing this it makes people watch their time out, figure out roughly how much time they need to get to the top & then back.

This group was lucky a car was available to borrow (without permission) & they could break into a location that had dry clothing they could change into & warm their friend some before help arrived. Without it they all might have been in the hospital or worse

 

[Mike P.]

Latest Update

Update from today's Conway Daily Sun:

9/27/2006
Hiker's near-death experience on Mount Washington spurs warnings
Fall outings can be among the most dangerous
David Carkhuff

...Gabriel Gauthier, 23, of Quebec, nearly died when he and three other Canadian hikers ventured up Mount Washington, unequipped for the fog, snow and freezing winds and rains that greeted them.

Gauthier was first listed in grave condition for severe hypothermia at Elliot Hospital in Manchester. He was upgraded from grave to critical condition over the weekend.

The Elliot Hospital public affairs office on Tuesday said Gauthier was listed in good condition. "Good condition" means a patient's vital signs are stable and the prospect for recovery is good to excellent, hospital staff said...