2 New Hampshire Hikers Plead Guilty To Reckless Conduct Charges

LITTLETON, NH — Two hikers pleaded guilty to reckless conduct charges last month after admitting to undertaking a dangerous hike without the proper gear or preparation.

Jason Feierstin, 22, of Lowell, MA, and Dylan Stahley, 25, of Windsor, were given reckless conduct citations on June 11 after a seven-hour rescue by New Hampshire Fish and Game, the Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team, and New England K-9 Drone Unit.

An initial call to 911 requested assistance for one of the hikers after they became stuck under a ledge and were concerned about falling off a cliff.

“The hiker was unable to relay his position to dispatchers and was only able say that he could see the highway,” Lt. James Kneeland of Fish and Game said. “Through 911 tracking, the hiker was determined to be on the east side Franconia Notch State Park, on a feature known as Hounds Hump, near the Eaglet.”

The hiker, who had been with a friend, had not followed a trail but, instead, started climbing the steep ledges.

“The hiker told dispatchers, ‘We were exploring,’” Kneeland said. “The friend had been able to continue ascending but eventually called for help because he too could not find a way down from the cliffs.”

Rescuers, despite being professionals at rock climbing, were unable to reach the hikers from the bottom of the cliffs. Instead, they were forced to climb above the hikers and descend to the area, Kneeland said. One hiker was found, but the second one was not. The search continued for several hours, he said.

Around 6:30 p.m., a search member spotted the second hiker from an observation position on Interstate 93. A drone was used to get an exact location. The rescue team was then able to reach the second hiker, harnessed him, and moved him down, Kneeland said. The rescue effort was completed around 9:30 p.m.

“Conservation Officers learned from the two hikers they had no plan for a hike that day,” Kneeland said. “They were not familiar with the area, did not stay on any trail, and did not have any equipment or even footwear for entering such a steep and dangerous location, much less ropes, harnesses, or climbing gear.”

The hikers were then cited.

Kneeland said the safety of rescuers was “paramount in the execution of search and rescue missions” and “when hikers and others put themselves into hazardous situations needlessly or by being ill-prepared, it put rescuers in harm’s way.” Hikers who put others at risk, he said, “need to be held accountable.”

Both Feierstin and Stahley pleaded guilty in Littleton District Court on Aug. 9, and they were fined $248 each.

Kneeland said hikers should visit the state’s Hike Safe site, linked here, and also review the Recreate Responsibly Guidelines. The code includes information about what to bring, letting others know where you going, when to turn back from a hike, and what to do in an emergency.

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