GLEN HOUSE, N.H. — Editor's note: The video attached to this story was published Dec. 22, 2023.
Two hikers required rescue Thursday when the terrain and conditions on Mount Washington in New Hampshire forced them to reach out for help.
Francois Nadeau and Pierre Nadeau, both from Quebec, Canada, called 911 shortly after 5 p.m. when they were unable to continue their hike through poor visibility and winterlike conditions, officials with New Hampshire Fish and Game said in a news release.
The agency said the two were wet, tired, and unprepared to handle the terrain and conditions, with deep snow and poor trail visibility.
Three conservation officers responded to the call and were able to locate the hikers several hours later, around 10 p.m. The officers guided the pair to the Wamsutta Trail and to the auto road, where a vehicle brought them down the mountain to safety.
"The hikers did not take into account winter conditions with below freezing temperatures and rain," the release stated. "They also were not prepared to deal with deep snow."
Officials did not share their conditions in the release.
The Fish and Game service issued a reminder for anyone planning to hike in the White Mountains to be prepared for a wide spectrum of conditions there, particularly at high elevation, and encouraged people to follow the Hike Safe guidelines.
"Winter conditions still persist at elevation throughout New Hampshire's White Mountains," they stated. "Prepare accordingly."
Mount Washington, or Agiocochook, is the tallest peak in the Northeast, standing at 6,288 feet.
Nearly 200 deaths in the Presidential Range have been recorded in as many years, including one this year. In March, a woman was fatally injured in a fall while backcountry skiing on Mount Washington in the area of Tuckerman Ravine.