Rescue crews had to navigate difficult terrain to rescue a snowboarder who was seriously injured on Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire Monday.
According to New Hampshire Fish and Game officials, conservation officers received a report of an injured snowboarder out of bounds at Cannon Mountain Ski Area at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 30.
Officials said Ethan Haust, 36, of Ashland, New Hampshire, had been snowboarding at Cannon Mountain with a group of his friends when they decided to finish the day in a zone that is outside of the ski area facilities and is not patrolled or maintained.
While navigating through a steep, rocky section, Haust reportedly caught his edge and he collided with a tree, resulting in a serious injury.
Unable to evacuate or move through the very steep terrain with the severity of the injury, the group made a phone call to the mountain’s ski patrol for help.
Because of the location of the injured party and that the ski area closed at 4 p.m., a call to Fish and Game was placed while two available ski patrollers responded to the location and rendered medical aid.
Conservation officers and members of the Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team responded to the location. Due to the technical mountain terrain and conditions that Haust was in, rescuers had to use ropes to safely extricate and get the snowboarder back to the base of the mountain, where he was taken by private vehicle to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment.
