Rescue — Mt. Madison, Oct 7, 2013
Two hikers, male age 28 and female age 27, both of Brownsville, Vermont; also a second separate incident involving a 23-year-old special needs male hiker on Mt. Sunapee who became separated from his caregivers · party of 2
On October 7, 2013, Raymond Barnard (28) and Stephanie Watkins (27) were caught by a severe storm with winds near 90 mph and heavy rain on the exposed summit of Mt. Madison, causing them to shelter among rocks on the Pine Link Trail. Rescuers located them just after 1:00 AM approximately a quarter mile from Madison Springs Hut; they were cold and wet but able to walk out, arriving at the trailhead around 4:40 AM. A separate incident the same day involved Matthew Weinstein, a 23-year-old special needs hiker who became separated from his caregivers on Mt. Sunapee and was found approximately five miles away in good health.
What we can learn
Hikers should be self-sufficient with sleeping bags and shelter as backcountry huts reduce services in late season; rain gear may fail in extreme conditions; cell phone GPS coordinates can be unreliable in the mountains so hikers should track trail signs and landmarks; plan for shorter days, check weather forecasts, and stay together as a group.
Contributing factors