Overview
- A 21-year-old man called 911 around 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 from the Long Trail near the summit of Camel’s Hump, reporting he and a 19-year-old woman were dangerously cold.
- Temperatures were below zero with deep snow and wind chills near minus 20 degrees, prompting rescuers to guide the pair toward the Alpine Trail below the tree line.
- Vermont State Police and three backcountry rescue teams mobilized via the Monroe Trail and reached the hikers around 11:20 p.m., finding both suffering from hypothermia.
- After on-scene treatment, the man walked down with assistance while the woman was carried on a litter to the trailhead by about 4 a.m., where she was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
- Both hikers from Ontario are expected to fully recover, and officials credited coordinated crews with saving their lives while urging winter travelers to know the terrain, carry proper gear, and turn back when necessary.