After Frantic Search, 2 Lost Hikers Rescued At Southington/Berlin Mountain

SOUTHINGTON/BERLIN, CT — A frantic search-and-rescue operation over the holiday weekend at a popular hiking hotspot in Southington/Berlin resulted in the best of outcomes.

Authorities said two lost hikers were rescued from Ragged Mountain Saturday evening, Feb. 14, after a 3.5-hour operation involving multiple fire departments and specialized rescue teams.

Both patients were brought out to Andrews Street approximately 3.5 hours after the initial call. Their conditions were not immediately released.

The Southington Fire Department was dispatched at 6:11 p.m. to the popular outdoors destination for a report of two hikers who had become lost.

The mountain spans Southington and Berlin and is part of the Metacomet Ridge, drawing hikers and climbers year-round.

Fire dispatchers provided GPS coordinates to responding crews. Car 4, the shift commander, arrived at 150 Carey St. and established unified command, the SFD said.

Firefighters reached the hikers after a roughly 1.5-mile trek through snow drifts estimated at 4 feet deep and over steep terrain, according to the SFD

Both individuals were treated for hypothermia. One of the hikers was also experiencing a diabetic emergency, authorities said.

Because of the length and difficulty of the operation, and the need to bring in additional technical rescue equipment, crews established a warming fire at the scene.

Officials said the measure significantly improved both patients’ conditions while additional resources were assembled.

Mutual aid was requested for additional personnel, specialty equipment, rope rescue operations, and patient packaging to remove the hikers from the wooded area.

Assisting agencies included the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department, East Berlin Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., Kensington Fire-Rescue, South Kensington Volunteer Fire Department, Avon Volunteer Fire Department, and Rocky Hill Fire Department.

"The hikers became disoriented and were found by Southington resources in difficult terrain suffering from hypothermia, with one experiencing a medical emergency," wrote the Berlin Volunteer Fire Department on Sunday.

"The rescue was a massive effort with collaboration from numerous regional resources who came together seamlessly, providing for a successful outcome."

Additional support came from CT Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue, multiple ambulances from American Medical Response, and Hartford County fire coordinators.

Mount Southington Ski Area provided a snowmobile that officials said proved critical to the rescue effort.