Fatality — Mount Washington, Jul 30, 2022
John R. Quick Jr., 65, of Missouri (hiking with his dog)
On July 30, 2022, John R. Quick Jr., 65, of Missouri, was found unresponsive with a broken arm and a head gash near the Gulfside Trail junction on the Jewell Trail while descending Mount Washington. Two groups of fellow hikers performed CPR for about 40 minutes after a 911 call around 1:15 p.m., but he was pronounced dead amid temperatures in the 30s, roughly 50 mph winds, and hail. NH Fish and Game-coordinated rescuers, with Androscoggin Valley and Pemi Valley Search and Rescue, carried his body nearly a mile across the Gulfside Trail to the Cog Railway for transport off the mountain.
What we can learn
Above-treeline weather on Mount Washington can turn dangerous quickly even in summer; this death came on a day with near-freezing temperatures, 50 mph winds, and hail.