Injured hiker who had to crawl up trail is carried 2 miles by rescuers, NH officials say

A woman was rescued after she was hurt while hiking in New Hampshire, state officials said.

The 34-year-old avid hiker was embarking on a solo three-day trip and injured her ankle Monday, Oct. 3 after reaching the top of Mt. Chocorua, a 3,490-foot summit in the White Mountains, according to a release from the state’s Fish and Game Department.

Unable to bear weight on one foot and lacking cellphone service, the woman crawled up a steep segment of the trail until she obtained service and then texted a friend to ask for help, the release said.

Fish and Game conservation officers and members of the Lakes Region Search and Rescue (LRSAR) Team responded to the area. The woman, who frequently hikes in the Granite State, “was able to comfortably sustain herself for several hours in near freezing temperatures as she waited for rescuers to arrive,” the release said.

She was placed in a litter and carried about two miles down the trail to a utility vehicle that brought her to a trail parking lot shortly before midnight, according to the release.

Neither the woman nor a representative for New Hampshire’s Fish and Game Department could be immediately reached for comment by McClatchy News.

Other rescues and injuries have occurred recently on Mt. Chocorua, a summit with vast history, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

A 61-year-old was injured in 2021 after hitting his head while climbing the mountain, according to the Boston Globe. Two 19-year-old hikers were also rescued last year on the mountain after getting lost on the descent, according to WCAX, a local TV station.

This story was originally published October 4, 2022 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Injured hiker who had to crawl up trail is carried 2 miles by rescuers, NH officials say."