FRANCONIA, N.H. (WHDH) - A hiker was rescued Thursday morning from the summit of Little Haystack on Franconia, New Hampshire.
Conservation officers learned around 8:15 a.m. about a 28-year-old solo hiker from Maine who was in distress and called 911 to report that his limbs were frozen and could no longer move through the several feet of snow, according to NH Fish and Game
Temperatures were in the 20s with winds blowing consistently above 30 mph. Coordinates placed the hiker about 1,000 feet off trail at 4,300 feet in elevation.
A call was made to the Army National Guard in hopes that an airlift could be performed if a favorable weather window presented itself. Unfortunately when the Army National Guard arrived in Franconia Notch at around 10:45 a.m., the cloud cover only allowed for them to get within a quarter of a mile of the hiker before they had to turn back because of poor visibility. They were able to land at nearby Cannon Mountain Ski Area to wait for a safer opportunity.
The hiker was located and by 1 p.m. the first ground rescuers reached the hiker. After stabilizing him, crews waited for the clouds to lift enough for the Army National Guard to return to the area.
By 3:15 p.m. the Army National Guard had lowered a medic and hoisted the hiker into the helicopter. As soon as the hiker was hoisted into the helicopter the cloud cover returned to the area and he was taken to Littleton Regional Healthcare to receive treatment for his injuries.
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