Dec. 21—A Portland man was rescued in New Hampshire’s White Mountains after suffering “severe hypothermia” while hiking 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 around 8:15 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
Temperatures in the area Thursday morning were in the low 20s, with winds over 50 km/h and occasional snow showers.
Conservationists and volunteers from the Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team hiked for more than an hour through 1,000 feet of dense brush to reach Bittman, the Fish and Game Department said.
Rescuers found Bittman around 1 p.m. and were able to stabilize him. They put him in a bag – a bag used for emergency shelter – and gave him warm, dry clothes and warm fluids.
The Army National Guard attempted to airlift the hiker around 10:45 a.m. but had to turn back due to poor visibility. Instead, the rescue crew landed at nearby Cannon Mountain Ski Area and was able to return to the rescue site around 3:15 p.m. and airlift Bittman to Littleton Regional Healthcare hospital.
Without the aerial rescue, crews would have had to carry Bittman over rugged terrain for hours, the Fish and Game Department said.
The Fish and Game Department said Bittman left for a hike Wednesday evening, planning to watch the sunrise from Mount Lafayette. However, when he arrived at the top of Little Haystack, he encountered deep snow and turned back, but could not find the trail and ended up in the Dry Brook drainage, where he called for help.
The department advised hikers heading into the White Mountains in winter to take precautions and pack essential gear.
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