New Jersey Hiker Ignored Multiple Warnings to Turn Around on Mt. Washington Leading To Rescue

Nagarajan Tiruchchirapallis, 48, of Jersey City, had set out early Saturday morning to climb Mount Washington via the Tuckerman Ravine

By Jeffrey Hastings, Patch Staff

Sep 28, 2026 9:06 AM EDT

Nagarajan Tiruchchirapallis, 48, of Jersey City, had set out early Saturday morning to climb Mount Washington via the Tuckerman Ravine (Jeffrey Hastings)

Sargent's Purchase, N.H. — A New Jersey man required an overnight mountain rescue off the Boott Spur Trail on Sunday after repeatedly ignoring recommendations from his hiking companions to turn back due to exhaustion and physical distress.

Nagarajan Tiruchchirapallis, 48, of Jersey City, New Jersey, had set out early Saturday morning to climb Mount Washington via the Tuckerman Ravine Trail alongside three companions. Early in the ascent, Tiruchchirapallis began struggling to keep pace. Recognizing his difficulty, his companions advised him to abandon the climb and head back down.

Tiruchchirapallis initially complied, returning to the base before taking a summit shuttle vehicle to meet his group at the peak. However, following a rest break at the top, he decided to attempt the descent on foot with his companions, setting off down the mountain at 11:30 a.m.

The group's descent quickly stalled. According to one companion, Tiruchchirapallis took nearly two hours to cover just half a mile. Once again, the group urged him to turn around and return to the summit to take a vehicle down, but he refused and insisted on continuing.

As the day wore on, the hiker's condition deteriorated. His companions attempted to assist him down the rugged terrain—at points even carrying him on their backs—before calling 911 for help.

New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers and volunteer rescuers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue (AVSAR) were dispatched at approximately 10:00 p.m. Saturday.

Rescue teams reached Tiruchchirapallis on the Boott Spur Trail at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. Rescuers helped him down to the Sherburne Ski Trail, where they loaded him onto an ATV and transported him to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, arriving at 2:00 a.m.

Emergency medical personnel from Gorham Ambulance evaluated Tiruchchirapallis at the scene before transporting him to Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin for precautionary treatment.