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Authorities say the 75-year-old of Acton was assisted down the trail and then transported by snowmobile to an awaiting ambulance.
A sign for a White Mountain National Forest entrance. David Lyon, File
A 75-year-old Massachusetts hiker was rescued early Sunday from a backcountry hut in the White Mountains while experiencing a medical emergency, authorities said.
At 2 a.m. Sunday, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of a hiker suffering from an unknown medical emergency at the Zealand Hut in White Mountain National Forest in Bethlehem, according to a department statement.
The 75-year-old hiker, who is from Acton, Massachusetts, and his companions had hiked to the Zealand Hut around noon on Saturday to spend two nights camping, the department said. On Saturday night, the hiker began experiencing the unknown medical emergency.
As the night progressed, the hiker’s pain and condition worsened, prompting staff at the hut to call for help, authorities said.
The hiker was able to walk with assistance, and his hiking partners helped him 2.2 miles down the trail. A conservation officer on a snowmobile traveled four miles up the trail to meet the group, the department said.
The hiker was transported by the snowmobile to Route 3, where a Twin Mountain Ambulance crew was waiting. He was then taken to Littleton Regional Hospital for further medical treatment, according to the department’s statement.
Authorities noted that the hikers were well-prepared and equipped for the conditions.
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