The Fourth of July was no vacation day for rescue crews in New Hampshire as they were kept busy rescuing hikers in several separate incidents during the holiday.

The following are several New Hampshire Fish and Game incident reports from July 4.

Lincoln, NH: At 11:30 AM a call came in to NH 911 reporting a 15 year old male suffering a medical emergency while hiking the Lonesome Lake Trail. Franconia Notch State Park personnel were able to quickly mobilize and respond a short distance up the Lonesome Lake Trail and carry the stricken male to the trailhead where they met the LinWood Ambulance. By a little after noon the subject was being transported to Speare Memorial Hospital for evaluation.

Franconia, NH: At 12:01 PM a call came in to NH911 reporting an injured hiker on Lincoln’s Slide in Franconia. A 57 year old male was reported to have a lower leg injury. The calling party had hiked back to Franconia Ridge to make the call to 911 and report the incident. Lincoln Slide is not a maintained trail and Conservation Officers were advised that the injured hiker would try to bushwhack to the Lincoln Brook Trail where they would meet responding rescuers. Volunteers from Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team along with Conservation Officers responded to Lincoln Woods and prepared for a more than 5 mile carry out. As the first rescuers arrived in the area of Lincoln Brook and the Black Pond Trail they met the injured hiker being assisted down the trail by his companions. Rescuers continued to assist the hiker to waiting ATV’s at the Black Pond Trail. The hiker was brought out the last 2 plus miles by atv and arrived at Lincoln Woods at 5:30 PM. The hiker was identified as James Boule of Campton New Hampshire. James is a very experienced hiker and had purchased a Hike Safe Card. He was transported by his companions for further evaluation of his injury.

Franconia, NH: At 1:30 PM a third call came in to NH 911 reporting a 27 year old female who was injured on the Falling Waters Trail about two miles from the trailhead. A Conservation Officer was diverted from the Lincoln Slide rescue to respond to the Falling Waters Trail to render aid and assistance. While waiting for help, the hiker was assisted by several passers-by, and slowly began to descend the trail. Once the responding Conservation Officer arrived at their location he provided first aid and assisted her down the trail back to the parking lot where they arrived around 4:00 PM. The hiker,

identified as Ruby Rhoad, 27, of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania was ascending the trail as part of a commonly hiked loop to Mt. Lafayette when she fell on a steep and wet section of trail next to the river and sustained a non-life threatening injury that made it difficult to continue her hike or to descend. After the fall and assessing the injury a call was placed to 911 by her partner for assistance off of the mountain. Ruby Rhoad and her partner were experienced, well-equipped hikers for the terrain, conditions, and hike that they had planned for the day.

Bethlehem, NH: Just before 2:00 PM a fourth call came in to NH 911 from the area of Mt. Tom in Bethlehem. A 24-year old woman had sustained a lower leg injury from falling on the A-Z Trail near the spur trail to Mt. Tom. Due to lack of cell coverage, her hiking companion hiked back up toward Mt. Tom to call for help as she was unable to bear weight on her leg. The hiker was identified as Mackenzie O’Rourke of Foster, RI.

NH Fish and Game Conservation Officers were already engaged in two other rescue calls when O’Rourke suffered her injury. One Conservation Officer was pulled from another rescue to gather volunteers from the Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team and the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team to carry O’Rourke off Mt. Tom. By 4:30 PM, rescue crews had hiked up approximately two miles of trail to stabilize and package O’Rourke for the carry-out. O’Rourke safely arrived back at the trailhead at approximately 7:30 PM. She was transported by a friend to seek further medical evaluation and treatment.