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AvalancheOutcome: FatalAvalanche

Avalanche — Mount Washington, Jan 25, 1982

·Mount Washington

28-year-old Mountain Rescue Service volunteer from Tuftonboro, NH · party of 2

Albert Dow, 28, a volunteer with Mountain Rescue Service, was killed by an avalanche while searching for two lost ice climbers (Hugh Herr and Jeffrey Batzer) on January 25, 1982. After topping out of Odell's Gully, he and partner Michael Hartrich (who survived) followed tracks and crossed below treeline into avalanche terrain near Lion Head. He remains the first and only backcountry SAR volunteer killed in the line of duty in the White Mountains. His death led to workers' compensation and life insurance coverage for NH Fish and Game volunteers, and to broader avalanche-beacon adoption among rescuers.

What we can learn

Avalanche hazard can exist in terrain previously assumed safe, including below treeline. Dow's death drove policy changes — beacon use among rescuers, and statutory protections for SAR volunteers.

Before you head out: check the forecast, carry the Ten Essentials, leave your plans with someone, and be willing to turn back. See current conditions →

Other recorded incidents on Mount Washington

Part of the WMNF Hiker Incident Database. Every entry cites a primary or near-primary source; details are refined as the record is reviewed.