Maybe the Strangest Rescue Ever?

[dug]

OK, details are sketchy and if anyone can get a link, that would be great. But, I just heard on the local NH news about 4 hikers who started out from Pinkham Notch at 1:00 yesterday. After the weather turned to snow and ice, one passed out from Hypothermia on the Nelson Crag Trail. Here's where it gets interesting.

One of the hikers took off for the summit, stole a car, drove back to get the passed out hiker, then...DROVE BACK TO THE SUMMIT!!! Broke into the old carraige house building, and called 911 for help. All ended in the hospital, and one is in grave condition.

Question about when should you pay for your rescue? This would be one.

 

[dRitter]

Mucho bizarro to say the least:
http://www.wmur.com/news/9904905/detail.html

 

[Pamola]

Question about when should you pay for your rescue? This would be one.

This will be an issue the hikers have to face but I don't know if it's entirely appropriate for us to discuss while a member of their party is near death.

I'm sure their mistakes are more than obvious to them now.

Wishing him/her the best, despite their oversights/wrongdoings.

 

[Paradox]

As bizarre as it all sounds, they may have had some concern for the wellfare of the individual whose car they had stolen, and wanted to get it back to the place where it was taken. If this is the case, it does not sound like a criminal mindset.

 

[Mattl]

I can see how the whole length of the road may have seemed too far for them to drive to the bottom. I think they though it may have been quicker to just call from up on top..which you should never rely on! I wonder if he will make it? If you follow weather at all..you would have known that weather was coming..seriously...-Matt

 

[Maddy]

I'm wondering how much the cold and perhaps sheer panic affected their decision making.
Glad to hear they are off the mountain and hope their teamate survives this.

 

[Dugan]

Not that I am advocating this - but if one does get into serious trouble on Washington, and runs to the summit, would it not make more sense to knock on the weather station's door? I know we're not supposed to seek refuge there, but I can't imagine they'd turn someone away who was truly in trouble?

 

[Tom Rankin]

A lot of people have died while trying to reach the summit, because they believed that they would find shelter there. That may be true, but the trouble is, getting to the summit can be extremely difficult. I think a lot fewer people would attempt a trip like this if there was no shelter on top.

Not that I wish them any ill. I hope they are all ok.

If I were the car owner, I would not press charges, but I would want to see any damage repaired at their expense.

 

[Jim lombard]

Just a couple of days ago, the summit had a high temp of 60 and yesterday one of the observers wrote that the windchills were around zero. Amazing how this mountain can go from summer to winter in such a short amount of time.

I hope he recovers and wish him and his family best wishes.

 

[nartreb]

"If you follow weather at all..you would have known that weather was coming..seriously...-Matt"

I can top that. Descending in the dark at the end of a long hike last weekend I met two staff from an AMC hut who were on their way to "raid" the Madison hut. They told me they'd been delayed because they'd stopped to help a man they'd found "camped" in the middle of the trail, with no sleeping bag, no warm clothing, no nothing. Why was he there? Because he had no flashlight either, and had been caught by surprise by nightfall. They walked him half a mile to his car.

Other than me and the two Croo, I am confident there was nobody else going up or down that trail until morning. It wasn't as cold as it could have been, but this guy was still lucky he was found.

 

[GeorgeFitch]

Not that I am advocating this - but if one does get into serious trouble on Washington, and runs to the summit, would it not make more sense to knock on the weather station's door? I know we're not supposed to seek refuge there, but I can't imagine they'd turn someone away who was truly in trouble?

In the '70s one of my older brothers and his partner were descending from the summit when gusts of 150 MPH literally knocked them off their feet and their eyes started freezing shut. They spent a day or so in the observatory until the storm passed. Later they hiked back with a cherry pie as a way of saying thanks.

One should never go there with the intent of staying in the observatory, but stuff happens.

My bro and his partner were the 7th and 8th persons to complete the winter 46 4K and were strong, experienced, well equipped, and safety conscious climbers.

 

[DougPaul]

Heading toward the summit in an emergency is a common theme in the accident reports. They don't always get there and help can be minimal to nonexistent. I rather suspect that people with limited local information will continue to do so.

The weather observatory used to actively discourage people from coming to them for help. Perhaps they still do.

Doug

 

[bobandgeri]

The Weather Observatory is manned 7x24 year round. I believe that the State build (cafe/gift shop) is manned 7x24 during the months the Auto Road is opened - although they are one level below the cafe outside of business hours.

I have seen the Weather staff intervene and help out by calling the State teams when a couple missed the last shuttle and train, in order to get somebody off the mountain.

If I were in trouble near the top of the mountain, and the cafe was locked, I would first try the door to the weather tower building that is on the observation deck - it is usually unlocked and open.

Although they most likely would not be able to personally help out with a rescue, I am sure they would call the proper folks. Last Winter we passed a person heading to the summit while we were descending. He didn't respond to our hello's and did not appear to have water or a pack. Conditions were headed downhill fast. We stopped at the hut (dungeon) where we ran into 3 AMC Caretakers and mentioned it to them. One was headed to the Obs center anyways, but was calling them on a two-way to have them keep an eye out for the guy.

 

[Frodo]

Not that I am advocating this - but if one does get into serious trouble on Washington, and runs to the summit, would it not make more sense to knock on the weather station's door? I know we're not supposed to seek refuge there, but I can't imagine they'd turn someone away who was truly in trouble?

Back in January 1994, Jeremy Haas spent 45 minutes knocking on the Observatory's door (in 80mph winds and -30 temps) before someone answered. It was too late to save his friend Derek Tinkham (who perished on Jefferson), but he luckily survived with some major frostbite

Due to all of the natural sounds (wind, flying ice, etc), knocking on the door doesn't always work...

 

[HAMTERO]

stolen car

If I come out of the woods and have to steal a car i'm getting NH_Mtn_Hikers cause he has the 200mph rope holding the bumper on. "Trading Paint" not even on a NASCAR weekend.

 

[w7xman]

MWO Response...

Hi all,

As a member of the weather room staff, and avid reader of this forum, I felt that it was important for the Observatory to weigh in on this one, so here's a response from Scot Henley, the Obs' ED:

********************************************************
What happened on Wednesday night is obviously another awful Mount Washington story of ill-prepared hikers putting themselves in a grave, but entirely avoidable situation. While we don't know at this point what the future holds for that young hiker, the remarkable efforts of the Observatory and State Park staff gave him a shot at making it through, getting him to medical care off the mountain as quickly as possible. Hindsight is 20/20-- I'm sure that this hiking group would do anything to go back and change the outcome. I really hope he makes it.

After reading this string of posts, I thought that it was important to point out
that the Observatory simply cannot be viewed as a safe refuge in times of need. Our staff is made up of relatively young men and women who are working hard to advance their careers in meteorology. While many observers have first aid training, we are simply not equipped to serve as an infirmary.

By pointing out that hikers in distress should just enter our facility through an
unlocked Observatory door, as mentioned in an earlier post, I believe that this is promoting an unrealistic option to more groups of hikers like Wednesday's group. Our staff and the State Park crew were drawn out into dangerous conditions to try and help these folks, and they rose to the occasion. However, I believe that this all happened because the group thought that safety and medical attention could be readily found up there.

It goes without saying that the Observatory crew would never shut the door on someone who was in a life or death situation. We certainly help search and rescue efforts wherever we can, to the level that we are trained. The bottom line is that many of these scenarios can be avoided before they even start, as those of us who live and play here know so well. The Mount Washington community should continue to promote safety, preparedness and smart choices, not how to gain access into the building after dark.

Great forum-- I appreciate having the chance to read these posts and share my thoughts with people who love Mount Washington and the Whites like I do.

All the best,

Scot Henley
Executive Director
Mount Washington Observatory

 

[Raymond]

Whose car was stolen? One of the meteorologists’?

It seems hard to believe that someone could hot-wire a car when he’s shivering violently, if that’s what happened.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Whose car was stolen? One of the meteorologists’?

It seems hard to believe that someone could hot-wire a car when he’s shivering violently, if that’s what happened.

In most cases, hot-wiring cars only happens in the movies these days. That's not to say people don't still steal cars without the keys. These days it usually requires more time as well as tools.

Most likely the car stolen at the summit had the keys in it. Leaving the keys in an unattended vehicle in New Hampshire is illegal. If this is the case, had those hikers been involved in an accident, the owner of the car could have been held responsible for their injuries and the damage they caused.

So don't leave your keys in your car! ...even on Mt. Washington.

 

[AntlerPeak]

"The injured hiker collapsed from the cold. His companions brought him to the Auto Road and one person hiked to the summit, where he found a vehicle with the keys in it. He drove back to his companions, and for some reason, drove them back to the summit instead of to the base.

Finding no one, they broke into an Auto Road building and called for help. State park employees elsewhere on the summit brought them to the base.

The hiker is in serious condition."

This is just speculation, who knows what people are thinking under stress. It is likely the hiker who took the car had no notion to steal the vehicle. The motivation was to "save" the other hiker. Rationalization says "there is a building with people in it, therefore help. They are not likely to get too upset if I borrow their car and return it. My friend gets help and the car is unharmed. Driving to the base then where? Leaving the mountain means I stole the car."

Who knows but just an offhand guess at the thought process here.

 

[TJ aka Teej]

Poor decisions due to Hyperthermia?

That was my first thought when I read they drove to the top.
Any updates on the condition of the hiker?