Quebec Hiker Rescued Overnight After Falling In Water, Losing A Shoe

PINKHAM’S GRANT — A hiker from Quebec rescued in the White Mountains after getting cold, wet, and potentially hypothermic.

New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers received a 911 call Tuesday at about 10:45 p.m. for a hiker who was stuck off the trail next to Ellis River. Reports indicated the woman was wet, cold, and stuck down a steep embankment along the river adjacent to the Tuckerman Ravine Trail.

Attempts were made to call back the hiker, but officers were unsuccessful, and authorities quickly mobilized to avoid the dangers of a hypothermic situation. At the time of the call, temperatures in Pinkham Notch hovered around 52 degrees, but according to conservation officers, lower temperatures were expected prior to dawn.

Rescuers arrived at the Tuckerman Ravine Trailhead shortly after midnight. They began hiking toward the location given to the caller, which was approximately 0.5 miles from the AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. At 1:20 a.m., rescuers located the hiker on the opposite side of the Ellis River from the Tuckerman Ravine Trail.

The hiker was identified as Christine Beaulieu, 37, of Laval, Quebec. She was found to be very cold and wet. Rescuers immediately gave her warm clothing and assisted her back across the river to the trail.

Although extremely fatigued, Beaulieu was able to hike down the trail with rescuers and arrived safely at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center at 2:25 a.m.

Rescuers learned that the catalyst for this incident was a lack of a headlamp or flashlight. When daylight ran out, Beaulieu decided to follow the Ellis River down Mt. Washington as she could not see the hiking trail. During this process she fell into the water, got soaking wet and lost a shoe.

"Beaulieu feared for her life, which was well founded given the falling temperatures and hours before sunrise. Authorities are glad that the situation turned out as well as it did.”