A Canadian hiker had to be rescued by helicopter after he fell 50 feet from a steep ravine on the side of Mount Washington on Saturday.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said Thomas Charland, 24, of Quebec City, was seriously injured when he fell from a steep slab on the upper reaches of Huntington Ravine around 12:30 p.m.
Due to the steep terrain and injuries, emergency responders called the New Hampshire National Guard to assist in a helicopter rescue.
Rescuers drove up the Mount Washington Auto Road to a point where they could hike down into the ravine from above to help out. The helicopter lowered a paramedic who provided initial treatment and secured the hiker in a litter basket, where he was then hoisted to the helicopter at 3:35 p.m.
Charland was flown to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon for treatment of serious injuries, which were not considered life-threatening, according to Fish and Game.
It’s the second time in a week the Guard was dispatched to help a hiker in the White Mountains — a helicopter responded to Mount Lincoln to rescue a hiker who suffered chest pains.
In its report on the Huntington Ravine rescue, Fish and Game officers said Charland was “very lucky to survive the fall he took.”
There have been multiple rescue calls on the Huntington Ravine Trail this spring and early summer. Fish and Game warns, “Huntington Ravine Trail is not a trail for every day hikers or people who are not prepared with ropes and climbing gear and proper footwear. The upper section is a dangerous cliff climb and should not be listed as a ‘hiking’ trail.”
They also urged hikers to take heed of all signs, including those from the White Mountain National Forest Service warning that the trail is precarious, and should not be attempted without proper research, planning, experience and equipment.
