'Severely hypothermic' hiker lost in deep snow rescued from New Hampshire mountain

The 28-year-old hiker had called 911 to report that "his limbs were frozen, he was hypothermic, and could no longer move through the several feet of snow."

A "severely hypothermic" hiker from Maine was rescued from New Hampshire's White Mountains on Thursday, Dec. 19 after he stayed out overnight hoping to see the sunrise from Mount Lafayette, officials said.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said they were notified at around 8:15 a.m. on Thursday that a solo hiker was in distress just below the summit of Little Haystack on Franconia Ridge. The hiker, identified as 28-year-old Patrick Bittman, had called 911 to report that "his limbs were frozen, he was hypothermic, and could no longer move through the several feet of snow," the agency said.

Temperatures were in the 20s with winds blowing more than 30 mph, and Bittman's coordinates placed him at an elevation of 4,300 feet. He had set out the night before hoping to see the sunrise from Mount Lafayette, but once he was near the summit of Little Haystack, he encountered deep, blowing snow and tried to turn back. He ended up around 1,000 feet away from the trail, however, after losing sight of it.

Conservation officers and volunteers with Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team set out to find Bittman and by 10 a.m. Thursday were starting up the Falling Waters Trail amid intermittent snow squalls. The Army National Guard was called in to conduct an airlift, but when they arrived at around 10:45 a.m., low visibility prevented rescue.

The helicopter crew landed at nearby Cannon Mountain Ski Area to wait for a safer opportunity. Rescuers on the ground, meanwhile, spent more than an hour bushwhacking their way to Bittman.

"Vegetation was extremely thick and the terrain was steep. Snowshoes were a must once rescuers left the trail," officials said.

Ground rescuers reached Bittman by 1 p.m., at which point he was "extremely hypothermic." Rescuers placed him in a Bothy Bag for shelter and provided warm, dry clothes and warm fluids. Bittman remained sheltered and stabilized with rescuers until the clouds lifted enough for the helicopter crew to return at around 3 p.m.

The helicopter crew lowered a medic and hoisted Bittman by 3:15 p.m. They immediately transported him to Littleton Regional Healthcare for treatment.

"As soon as the hiker was in the helicopter, the cloud cover returned to the area," officials said. The aerial rescue saved several hours that ground rescuers would have had to spend carrying Bittman down the mountain on a rescue litter.

Reporting by TMX

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