Crime & Safety
NH Fish And Game Rescue Four Hikers Overnight In Franconia Notch
Conservation Officers: The group from Boston, Massachusetts, was unprepared to hike on one of the most dangerous trails in New Hampshire.
LINCOLN, NH — New Hampshire Fish and Game rescue hikers they say were unprepared for hiking in the White Mountains.
The New Hampshire Fish & Game Department was notified Saturday at about 9 p.m. of a group of hikers on the Flume Slide Trail who called for help. The group was approximately three miles from the Liberty Springs Trailhead at the Franconia Notch State Park Bike Path. They were descending the Flume Slide trail but could no longer continue because they had no lights and did not have equipment to stay overnight on the mountain.
A rescue was initiated because of the risk from the cold temperatures and the unprepared state of the group. Conservation officers with the Fish & Game reached Jonathan Long, 26, who was leading a group of three youths ages 13-14, all from the Boston, Massachusett, area, at approximately 11:35 pm.
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The hikers were given lights and food to continue carefully descending the trail. Conservation officers assisted the hikers down the trail and reached the Bike Path at 1:50 a.m. Sunday without further incident. The group was then transported to their vehicle at the Liberty Springs Parking Lot.
The group had hiked up the Liberty Springs Trail to Mount Liberty and Mount Flume that day. According to conservation officers, a dangerous decision was made to descend the Flume Slide Trail to loop back to the Liberty Springs trail because the group was unfamiliar with the trails. The Flume Slide Trail is considered one of the most challenging trails in the White Mountains and all sources strongly recommend that it not be used to descend from Mount Flume.
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Hikers in New Hampshire are asked by Fish and Game to not only make sure they are prepared with proper equipment, supplies, and clothing but also with information about the trails, safe “bailout” or contingency plans, and current weather information. Snow and ice still exist on many higher-elevation trails, creating dangerous conditions even on pleasant spring days.
Visit http://www.hikesafe.com/ for more information.
