(AP) — New Hampshire authorities came to the aid of a mother and daughter out hiking who became stranded at a mountain summit due to whiteout conditions.
The pair, Nathalie Beaudet, 54, and Catherine Courtemanche, 24, from Sherbrook, Quebec, hiked a familiar trail up Mount Lafayette in Franconia on Thursday. But they were unable to descend from the summit in high winds and blowing snow.
A team of Fish and Game conservation officers and volunteers from the Mountain Rescue Service responded. They hiked 4 miles from a trailhead and reached the women in about three hours. The women showed early signs of hypothermia. The group made it safely back to the trailhead.
Conservation officers said the pair were well equipped with winter clothing and equipment but lacked some of the navigational equipment such as a compass or GPS that would have assisted them in navigating through the whiteout conditions.
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