A hiker who had no light and became lost after the sun set had to be rescued in cold, wet conditions near New Hampshire’s Tuckerman Ravine in the early morning hours on Tuesday.
New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers received a call from 911 at 10:45 p.m. on Monday night from a young woman who reported being wet, cold, and stuck down a steep embankment along the Ellis River adjacent to the Tuckerman Ravine Trail.
Attempted callbacks to the hiker were unsuccessful, and authorities quickly mobilized to avoid the dangers of a hypothermic situation. Temperatures in Pinkham Notch hovered around 52 degrees at the time of the call, with lower temps expected prior to dawn.
Rescuers arrived at the Tuckerman Ravine trailhead shortly after midnight and began hiking toward the caller’s location (which was approximately half a mile from the AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center). At 1:20 a.m. Tuesday morning, rescuers located the hiker on the opposite side of the Ellis River from the Tuckerman Ravine Trail.
The hiker, identified as Christine Beaulieu, 37, of Laval, Quebec, was found to be very cold and wet. She was immediately given warm clothing and assisted back across the river to the trail. Although extremely fatigued, Beaulieu was able to hike down the trail with rescuers, arriving safely at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center at 2:25 a.m.
Rescuers reported that Beaulieu had no headlamp or flashlight. Once daylight ran out, she decided to follow the Ellis River down Mount Washington because she could not see the hiking trail. During this process she fell into the water, got soaking wet, and lost a shoe.
Beaulieu feared for her life, which Fish and Game officials said was well founded given the falling temperatures and hours before sunup.
Fish and Game officials said this rescue, like all rescues, will be thoroughly reviewed to determine if billing for negligence is appropriate to recoup costs.