Rescuers overcame frigid temperatures and deep snow to help rescue a hiker who was “extremely hypothermic” on New Hampshire’s Little Haystack mountain yesterday.
At 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, December 19, conservation officers were made aware of a hiker in distress just below the summit of Little Haystack on Franconia Ridge.
The solo hiker had contacted 911 and reported that his limbs were frozen, he was hypothermic, and could no longer move thru the several feet of snow.
Temperatures were in the 20s with winds blowing consistently above 30 miles an hour.
Coordinates placed the hiker about 1,000 feet off trail at 4,300 feet in elevation. Conservation officers and volunteers with Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team responded to the trail and by 10 a.m. had started up the Falling Waters Trail.
While most of New Hampshire saw some sun on Thursday, weather in Franconia Notch was cloudy with intermittent snow squalls.
A call was made to the Army National Guard in hopes that an airlift could be performed if a favorable weather window presented itself. Unfortunately, when the Army National Guard arrived in Franconia Notch at around 10:45 a.m., the cloud cover only allowed for them to get within a quarter of a mile of the hiker before they had to turn back because of poor visibility. They were able to land at nearby Cannon Mountain Ski Area to wait for a safer opportunity.
It took over an hour to cover the 1,000 feet of bushwhacking from Falling Waters Trail to where the hiker was located, and by 1 p.m. the first ground rescuers reached the hiker.
Vegetation was extremely thick and the terrain was steep. Snowshoes were a must once rescuers left the trail. At this point he was extremely hypothermic.
He was placed in a Bothy Bag for shelter, given warm dry clothing and warm fluids. The hiker stayed sheltered and was stabilized with rescuers while others with a rescue litter were making a trail to them. At around 3 p.m. the clouds lifted enough for the Army National Guard to return to the area. By 3:15 p.m. the Army National Guard had lowered a medic and hoisted the hiker into the helicopter.
As soon as the hiker was hoisted into the helicopter the cloud cover returned to the area. They made their way immediately to Littleton Regional Healthcare where they arrived before 3:30 p.m. This aerial rescue saved a multi-hour carry out thru rugged terrain and officials said it was a testament as to how search and rescue works in New Hampshire with several different groups working together for a common goal.
The severely hypothermic hiker was identified as Patrick Bittman, 28, of Portland Maine. Officials said Bittman had departed sometime the previous evening so that he could watch the sunrise from Mount Lafayette. Once near the summit of Little Haystack he encountered deep blowing snow and decided to come back down. He could not find the trail as he descended and ended up heading into the Dry Brook drainage when he eventually called for help.