Dec. 21—A man from Portland was rescued in New Hampshire’s White Mountains after becoming “severely hypothermic” during a hike this week.
The hiker, identified as 28-year-old Patrick Bittman, of Portland, was hiking just below the summit of Little Haystack Mountain on Franconia Ridge when he found himself frozen and unable to move through several feet of snow. He called for help at about 8:15 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
Temperatures were in the 20s in the area Thursday morning, with wind above 30 mph and intermittent snow squalls.
Conservation officers and Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team volunteers hiked for more than an hour through 1,000 feet of dense brush to reach Bittman, the Fish and Game Department said.
Rescuers located Bittman at around 1 p.m. and were able to stabilize him. They covered him in a bothy bag — a bag used for emergency shelter — and gave him warm, dry clothing and warm fluids.
The Army National Guard attempted to airlift the hiker around 10:45 a.m. but had to turn back because of poor visibility. Instead, the rescue crew landed at the nearby Cannon Mountain Ski Area and was able to return to the rescue site around 3:15 p.m. and airlift Bittman to the Littleton Regional Healthcare hospital.
If not for the aerial rescue, crews would have had to carry Bittman for multiple hours across rugged terrain, the Fish and Game Department said.
The Fish and Game Department said Bittman left on a hike Wednesday evening, planning to watch the sunrise from Mount Lafayette. However, upon arriving near the summit of Little Haystack, he encountered deep blowing snow and turned back, but he could not find the trail and ended up in the Dry Brook drainage, where he called for help.
The department advised hikers trekking in the White Mountains during the winter to take precautions and pack essential gear.
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