Freezing MA Hikers Rescued From New Hampshire Mountain: Officials

JAFFREY, NH — Two Massachusetts hikers were rescued from Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire, Friday night, officials said.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said its officers responded to a report of three hikers in distress on the Ferry Spring Trail of Mount Monadnock about 10 p.m. Friday.

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One of the three hikers was attempting to assist the other two hikers, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

"The two hikers had fallen into a brook and were wet and freezing," the post said. "High winds, dropping temperatures, and their soaking wet clothes created a situation for life-threatening cold weather injuries."

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The hikers, in distress, residents of Winchendon, had no food, water, warm clothes, change of clothes or cold weather gear, according to the post.

One of the two was able to walk down the mountain on his own, according to the post, but the other was "unable to move and suffering from cold weather injuries."

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Rescue crews got him "out of his frozen clothes and began to warm him up," the post said.

Rescuers determined the pair started their hike after dark at 5:30 p.m. and one of them was "heavily intoxicated," according to the post.

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The intoxicated hiker was taken to Heywood Hospital in Gardner, Massachusetts, the post said, and he was charged with minor in possession of alcohol.

The post said "it will be recommended that the hiking pair be billed for the rescue."

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"These situations are avoidable and put rescue crews at unnecessary risk," the post said. "If you plan to hike New Hampshire’s’ vast hiking trails, please adhere to the hiker responsibility code as set forth by the hikeSafe program."