Portland Hiker Rescued After Severe Hypothermia in New Hampshire
A 28-year-old hiker from Portland was rescued after suffering severe hypothermia in New Hampshire’s White Mountains during a challenging hike
Portland, New Hampshire, Hiking, Rescue, Hypothermia
New Hampshire: A hiker from Portland had a close call in the White Mountains. This week, he got into serious trouble while hiking.
Patrick Bittman, 28, was trying to reach the summit of Little Haystack Mountain. But things took a turn when he got stuck in deep snow and couldn’t move. He called for help around 8:15 a.m. on Thursday.
It was pretty chilly that morning, with temperatures in the 20s and strong winds. The weather wasn’t on his side, either, with snow squalls making it worse.
Rescue teams had to hike through tough terrain for over an hour to find him. They finally reached him around 1 p.m. and quickly got to work stabilizing him. They wrapped him in an emergency shelter bag and gave him warm clothes and fluids.
Initially, the Army National Guard tried to airlift him but had to turn back due to bad visibility. They eventually landed nearby and returned to airlift him to the hospital later in the afternoon.
Without the airlift, it would have taken a long time to carry him out through the rough landscape. Bittman had set out the previous evening to catch the sunrise from Mount Lafayette but got lost in the snow and ended up needing help.
The Fish and Game Department reminded everyone to be careful and pack the right gear when hiking in the winter.