Article updated at 11:59 a.m. on Thursday, June 25.
Two climbers who were stuck in a severe storm on Katahdin overnight and became hypothermic and dehydrated were reportedly rescued this morning.
The climbers, Dakota Cunningham, 35, of Richmond, Virginia, and Sean Rowan, 35, of Chesterfield, Virginia, had left Chimney Pond Campground at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, June 24, for a permitted technical climb. By 2 p.m., severe thunderstorms moved into the area and brought intense rain, hail, high winds, and lightning, stranding the pair on the mountain in an area of difficult terrain known as The Flat Iron.
Baxter State Park officials said exposure to the elements left both men hypothermic and dehydrated.
After a 911 call was made at 3:44 p.m., park rangers communicated with the hikers via text as they took shelter from the ongoing thunderstorms.
A Maine Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, carrying a crew of five, was dispatched from Bangor at 9 p.m. However, heavy cloud cover initially obstructed the aerial extraction and the helicopter was forced to turn back.
Simultaneously, a ground-based technical rescue team was mobilized. This team, comprising of 13 members from MASAR—including Wilderness Rescue Team, Coastal Mountain SAR, Mahoosuc Mountain Rescue, and Acadia Mountain Guides—arrived at Chimney Pond Campground overnight to begin an ascent at first light.
At approximately 6:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 25, the crew of the Maine Army National Guard successfully located the climbers and performed a hoist rescue. The climbers were flown to Millinocket Airport and taken by Millinocket Ambulance to Millinocket Regional Hospital for evaluation.
Brandon Chase, a hiker who was on the mountain at the time, was able to capture video of the helicopter rescue. (See below.)
Park officials said the Flat Iron is one of Baxter State Park’s most demanding routes, reserved for highly experienced climbers with advanced technical skills. Officials said even prepared climbers can be overwhelmed by the rapid and violent weather changes typical of the Maine wilderness.
