A hiker who ignored advice from his hiking companions to turn around had to be rescued overnight on Mount Washington.
According to New Hampshire Fish and Game officials, a 48-year-old hiker from New Jersey had started hiking up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail with three hiking companions early Saturday morning, September 26.
The hiker reportedly struggled to climb the trail, so his companions told him to turn around and not attempt the hike.
He did turn around, and he ended up taking a shuttle to the top of Mount Washington, where he met his companions.
After a break at the summit, the three who had hiked up planned to hike back down, and the hiker decided to hike down to the bottom with them. They reportedly started down at 11:30 a.m.
According to one of his companions, it took the subject nearly two hours to go approximately half a mile. At this point he was again told by his companions to turn around and return back to the summit for a ride down. But he refused and chose to continue on.
His hiking companions reportedly tried to get the hiker down the mountain by carrying him on their backs. Later in the day, after they were unsuccessful, the group reportedly made “several 911 calls.”
A rescue team made up of conservation officers and volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue responded, reaching the hiker on the Boot Spur Trail at 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
They helped the hiker down to the Sherburne Ski Trail, where he was placed on an ATV and driven to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, arriving at 2 a.m.
The hiker was then evaluated by EMS personnel from Gorham Ambulance and was taken to Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin for precautionary reasons.
