Braving deep snow and the darkness of night, search and rescue teams rescued a stranded Canadian hiker near the summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Lafayette Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.
According to officials with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Vincent Hevey, 25, of Quebec, sent a message to family members Wednesday afternoon saying he was having trouble finding his way down the mountain in whiteout conditions after reaching the summit with his two dogs.
Hevey reportedly lost his gloves while at the top of the mountain. He eventually located the Franconia Ridge Trail and stayed there, huddling with his dogs while waiting for rescuers to reach him in the difficult conditions.
A team of conservation officers and volunteers from the Mountain Rescue Service reached Hevey just before 1 a.m., about 800 feet south of the summit.
Fish and Game officials said rescuers needed to take time rewarming their own extremities before being able to descend to the trailhead with Hevey and the dogs.