Man And Woman Require Assistance After Avalanche In Franconia

FRANCONIA, NH - New Hampshire Fish and Game was notified of two climbers requesting assistance after being involved in an avalanche Sunday.

The caller provided the location of Cannon Cliffs in Franconia State Park, at 12:15 p.m.

A man and a woman climber had planned to ice climb the Black Dike climbing route and began to hike in that morning at 8:00 a.m. from the Lafayette Campground Parking lot.

Once the hikers reached the base of the climbing route, the snow gave away underneath them, causing an avalanche according to Conservation Officers. The man slid approximately 300 feet before coming to a stop and was partially buried.

The woman was uninjured and was able to call 911. While on the phone with 911, she was able to locate her friend waving downslope. Eventually, she could hike down to the man and offer assistance out of the snow. Though the man suffered injuries, they were able to slowly self-evacuate toward the trail.

Members of the volunteer Pemi Search and Rescue Team were driven to the trail via snowmachine by a NH Conservation Officer and members of the Cannon Mountain Ski Patrol.

Initial contact with the climbers was made by the rescue team at approximately 1:45 PM. The climbers were identified as Vincent Lapointe, 31, of Montgomery Center, VT, and Zephi Friel, 36, of Concord, NH.

The climbers were given a ride by snowmobile back to the awaiting Littleton Ambulance, arriving at 1:52 PM. Though Lapointe suffered an unknown injury, he refused medical assistance and chose to be driven to the hospital by Friel.

For safe hiking tips and a list of essential gear, visit hikesafe.com. Outdoor enthusiasts are encouraged to purchase a Hike Safe card at wildnh.com/safe. The card helps support Fish and Game search and rescue activities.