A 24-year-old hiker from Quebec was airlifted to a New Hampshire hospital after falling approximately 50 feet on one of Mount Washington’s most technically demanding routes.
New Hampshire Fish and Game was notified at approximately 12:30pm on Saturday, June 27th, after a 911 call reported an injured hiker on the Huntington Ravine Trail. The caller placed the victim roughly 0.20 miles below the Alpine Garden Trail junction, on a steep slab in the upper reaches of the ravine.
Given the severity of the terrain and the injuries involved, Fish and Game contacted the National Guard for helicopter support and called in both Mountain Rescue Service and Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue due to the technical nature of the location. Ground teams drove up the Mount Washington Auto Road and hiked down into the ravine from above.
The National Guard assembled a crew in Concord and arrived on scene at 2:55pm. A paramedic was hoisted down to the hiker, provided initial treatment, and secured the patient in a litter. At 3:35pm, the hiker was hoisted into the helicopter and flown to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.
The hiker was identified as Thomas Charland of Sainte-Foy, Quebec City. He had been hiking with three companions. His injuries were serious but not considered life threatening.
This rescue is one of several to occur on the Huntington Ravine Trail in just the past few months. New Hampshire Fish and Game has responded to dozens of injured or stranded hikers on this trail over the years, and agency officials are again warning the public that Huntington Ravine is not an appropriate destination for general hikers.
The upper section involves a steep cliff climb that requires ropes, climbing gear, and proper footwear. Warning signs are posted at both trailheads, though rescuers continue to respond to preventable incidents on the route with regularity.