News

Four hikers saved in two separate NH trail rescues just hours apart

A pair of hikers traverse the trail New Hampshire's Presidential Range Wednesday, July 27, 2016, on Mount Washington, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Four hikers were rescued in two separate incidents in New Hampshire on Friday.

In the first rescue, two hikers called 911 after getting stranded on the Huntington Ravine Trail in Sargent's Purchase on Friday around 3 p.m.

The hikers, identified as 35-year-olds Julia Eagles and Abby Finis, are both from Minnesota, and were hiking up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail and decided to take a detour up the Huntington trail.

Police say the Huntington trail is commonly referred to as "the most difficult trail in the White Mountains."

Two Fish and Game Conservation officers responded with ropes and technical gear to help Eagles and Finis, who didn't have proper gear to hike the summit of Mount Washington. The two were in shorts, and didn't have much outside of water in their backpacks for the trip.

The officers found the hikers around 5:52 p.m., and gave them warm clothing before guiding them to the steepest part of the trail and hiking to a point where they could drive down the mountain.

Hours later, the officers were alerted to a second hiker rescue around 8:45 p.m. on the Tuckerman trail.

A 911 call was made from a California man saying his 77-year-old father and his father's 71-year-old friend had called him saying they were exhausted and cold on the trail.

The call dropped just after the man said they were about a mile down from the summit of Mount Washington on the Tuckerman trail.

After a search in falling temperatures and 50-60 MPH winds, the hikers were found off the trail around 11:20 p.m.

>>RELATED: Local experts weigh in on efforts to rescue Thai soccer team & coach

The hikers were also dressed in shorts and light hiking apparel, and were suffering from various stages of hypothermia.

The father, identified as Florida native Arthur Stern, was initially able to walk before needing to be carried. The friend, New York native Alice Rubenstein, was in serious hypothermic condition, and also needed to be carried.

0