A group of six hikers who became lost on Camel’s Hump in Vermont were rescued Monday afternoon.
According to EMS officials in Waterbury, Vermont, the Vermont State Police requested assistance from the Waterbury Backcountry Rescue Team (WBRT) at 1:33 p.m. on Monday, October 12. They reported that a party of six hikers had become lost on Camel’s Hump.
Using the lost party’s cell phone to pinpoint their location, rescuers determined the six hikers were off the west side of the Long Trail about halfway up the mountain.
WBRT coordinated with the Huntington Search and Rescue Team and the Camel’s Hump Backcountry Rescue Team. They launched two rescue efforts, with one team climbing up from the Duxbury side via the Monroe Trail, and the second team ascending from the Huntington side via the Forest City Trail.
At 3 p.m., the lost party reported by cell phone that they had found the Forest City Trail and would proceed down it in the direction of Huntington. They reported they were cold, with little food or water.
Roughly 20 minutes later, the rescue team hiking up from Huntington found the lost party and guided them safely back to the base.
The incident was the second rescue in three days on Camel’s Hump. On Saturday evening, rescue crews helped located a lost juvenile hiker who had become separated from her family while descending Camel’s Hump.
Waterbury rescuers said it gets dark and cold quickly at this time of year, and hikers should always bring adequate food, clothing, lighting, and water. They also said hikers should stay on established trail networks.
