On Sunday evening, October 26th, 2025, a young man who found himself caught in windblown snow as the light and his cell phone were dying called for rescue near the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
A 911 call alerted New Hampshire Fish and Game Department of Conservation Officers at approximately 7pm. Officers quickly determined that 20-year-old Owen Strommer of Wakefield, Rhode Island, was stuck on the upper reaches of the Tuckerman Ravine trail around .3 miles below the mountain’s summit. Authorities were able to learn that Strommer was on the trail but that both his headlamp and cell phone were quickly dying.
Strommer advised the officers that he was alright in the moment but was unprepared to spend the night. Conditions at the summit included windblown snow, limited visibility, an ambient air temperature of 21°F, and a wind chill of 3°F. A rescue effort was immediately initiated.
“Conservation Officers and a volunteer from the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team (AVSAR) were subsequently dispatched to respond to the Mt. Washington Auto Road. A staff member from Mt. Washington State Park also responded from the summit with a fully chained up truck and parked with his lights on at the top of Tuckerman Ravine Trail to watch for Strommer.” – New Hampshire Fish and Game Department of Conservation Officers
The individual was able to continue making his way up the trail at a slow pace thanks to his dying headlamp, following cairns along the route. Eventually Strommer spotted the headlights of the State Park pickup truck and scrambled his way to the vehicle. He finally encountered park staff and was driven to the Mt. Washington summit to be warmed at evaluated at 8:29pm.
Strommer was found to be uninjured and was eventually driven to waiting Conservation Officers before being taken down to the base of the mountain. All parties were clear of the incident by 10pm.
While Strommer did do some research on his hike, he was unprepared for the conditions found above the tree line. It’s fall across most of New Hampshire, but the high peaks of the White Mountains are encountering proper winter conditions. Make sure you prepare for wintery conditions in you plan on visiting.
