Volunteer rescuer injured as 2 groups of hypothermic hikers rescued from N.H. mountain

A volunteer rescuer was seriously injured while helping carry an unresponsive hiker to safety during a nighttime rescue on Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire over the weekend, authorities said.

Rescue efforts began around 8 p.m. Friday when a group of hikers called for help from near the summit of Mount Lafayette in Franconia, New Hampshire Fish and Game. Posted on Facebook.

Fish and Game said hikers reported suffering from hypothermia and facing cold rain, poor visibility, lack of lighting and lack of warm clothing.

Two members of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Greenleaf Hut Crew hiked up the mountain and located the hikers about 0.15 miles below the summit, officials said.

The hikers were identified as two 19-year-old New Jersey residents.

One of the men was found unresponsive and suffering from hypothermia, while the other was cold, clammy and hypothermic, but remained alert, authorities said.

Cottage crew members began efforts to keep the couple warm while additional rescuers were mobilized. Members of the Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team and the Lake District Search and Rescue Team responded to assist with the evacuation, according to Fish and Game.

While en route, rescuers received a second emergency call regarding another group of hikers suffering from hypothermia. The group was located just over a mile from the trailhead. Responders were briefly diverted to provide lights and dry clothing before escorting these hikers safely back to the main trail, according to Fish and Game.

Rescuers arrived at Grechko and Fisher about 1:10 a.m. and began carrying the first hiker suffering from hypothermia to Greenleaf Hut, arriving just before 3 a.m. Inside the shelter, rescuers were able to extricate the hikers out of the weather and continue treatment for hypothermia and other cold-related injuries.

During the rescue operation, one of the volunteer rescuers was seriously injured and had to be helped back to the road, officials said.

During the following hours, rescuers continued to treat the hikers. The condition of the unconscious hiker at the hut improved and he eventually regained consciousness, according to Fish and Game.

Once the hikers were warm and stable, rescuers escorted the previously unresponsive hiker down the Old Bridle Trail, arriving at the trail at 7:55 a.m. and transported by LinWood Ambulance to Littleton Regional Hospital for further treatment, Fish and Game said.

Authorities did not identify the injured rescuer or provide an update on his condition.