NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA — The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department rescued a hiker suffering from heat-related symptoms Saturday afternoon on Mount Washington's Tuckerman Ravine Trail.
Just before 4 p.m. on July 27, the NH Fish and Game Department received word of a hiker suffering from what appeared to be "heat-related symptoms," on Tuckerman Ravine Trail, according to the department's website.
Officials said Seth Furber, 26, of Allendale, Michigan, had summited Mount Washington the day before and started feeling sick during his descent. Furber was with four other hikers who all made it to Hermit Lake shelter, where they spent the night so Furber could attempt to recover.
While at the shelter, Furber couldn't keep any food or water down and became weaker. On Saturday morning, the group tried to make it out without further assistance but couldn't get far before Furber "was unable to continue under his own power," the NH Fish and Game Department stated.
The Hermit Lake AMC caretaker responded to the call and helped Furber's hiking companions carry him in a litter back up the trail a short distance to the shelter. They were met by fish and game conservation officers, who traveled up the Sherburne Ski Trail on ATVs to access the shelter.
"Furber was assessed by the COs and deemed able to sit on the ATV. He was driven down the trail to the Pinkham AMC parking lot. There he was transferred to the Gorham EMS ambulance. He was ultimately transported to Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin," according to the NH Fish and Game website.
While the underlying medical issue is unknown in this case, the department said there were several similar calls fielded by dispatch centers and conservation officers throughout the day that all included symptoms of dehydration.
The department noted anyone partaking in strenuous hiking, especially on hot, dry days, should drink frequently and eat before and during the hike to maintain energy.
