A searchable record of fatalities, rescues, and search-and-rescue missions in the White Mountain National Forest, drawn from NH Fish and Game press releases, the Mount Washington Avalanche Center, and major regional outlets quoting agency statements.
Compiled and maintained by Nick Dube, NH 48 finisher and longtime White Mountains hiker · updated daily from NH Fish & Game. Modern-era (2015+) figures best represent current risk — the deep historical record skews fatal because routine rescues weren’t archived the way deaths were.
404
Total incidents
Documented since 1849
248
Survived
Self-rescued or rescued by SAR
150
Fatal
6 missing, never found
89%
Survival rate · 2015+
262 modern incidents
This database is a work in progress. We’re actively reviewing sources and adding incidents, so counts will grow and details may be refined over time.
Before you go: the Hiker Responsibility Code
Nearly every incident in this database was survivable — and many were preventable. You are responsible for yourself, so be prepared:
1.With knowledge and gear
2.To leave your plans
3.To stay together
4.To turn back
5.For emergencies
6.To share the hiker code with others
Check the current conditions before any hike, carry the Ten Essentials, start early, and turn around when weather or daylight runs short.
The long record
Documented incidents by decade. Survived rescues in forest green, fatalities in alert red. Hover a decade for its breakdown, or a year marker for the milestone. The pre-2015 period skews fatal not because the backcountry was deadlier then, but because rescues are not archived the way deaths are.
1849
1901
1954
1982
2015
SurvivedFatalMissing or unknown
When incidents happen
Documented incidents by month. Darker = more. Incidents cluster in July; winter incidents skew toward ice and traction, summer toward heat and exhaustion.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Survived
5
16
12
15
25
29
39
33
27
25
11
11
Fatal
18
15
16
12
11
14
10
14
12
13
7
5
Based on incidents with a known date. Use it to plan the season — not to assume any month is “safe.”
What goes wrong
Primary cause of each incident, split by outcome. Click a row to filter the database below.
Incidents mapped to the peak they’re linked to — bigger, redder circles mean more incidents and a higher fatal share. Click a peak to see its record.
Only incidents linked to a specific peak appear here; trail- or region-only reports are in the database below.
The playbook
What works · what gets people out alive
The bulk of WMNF backcountry incidents end in successful rescue. NH Fish and Game handles 200+ a year statewide; what follows is what the documented modern record (2015+) shows about the patterns that get people home.
Bailey, hiking out alone after a night at Guyot Shelter, slipped and fell on a steep descent of the Bondcliff Trail, injuring his leg about 7.5 miles into the backcountry. He texted NH 911 and was hoisted out by an Army National Guard Black Hawk and flown to Dartmouth Hitchcock. Fish and Game noted he was well-prepared.
Lesson · Hikers are encouraged to be prepared for their trek by packing the ten essential items: map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, headlamp, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jackets and pants, and a knife.
Susan Kuruvilla, 71, of Pennsylvania; Mini Kuruvilla, 52, of Texas; Joel Mathew, 21, of Connecticut
Three hikers started the Franconia Ridge Loop at 9:00 a.m. on May 11, 2026, and by 9:00 p.m. found themselves approximately 2 miles from the trailhead with no lights and unable to locate the trail as temperatures dropped into the low 20s. Conservation Officers hiked up the Old Bridle Path, located the group, provided lights, and assisted them back to the trailhead at 2:00 a.m. on May 12.
Lesson · NH Fish and Game reminded hikers that it is still winter in the mountains with snow, wind, and freezing temperatures, and to bring at least the 10 essentials on any hike.
Two female hikers, ages 38 and 43, from Quebec, Canada
On April 27, 2026, Jessica Fournier-Chartrand (38) and Annie Petrin (43) became disoriented on the Franconia Ridge Trail between Mount Liberty and Little Haystack Mountain due to fading light and knee-deep snow. They called for help while navigating with the AllTrails app, which they reported contributed to their confusion. Two conservation officers reached the pair at 11:15 p.m. and assisted them down 2.2 miles of steep icy trail, exiting at 2:22 a.m. on April 28 without injuries.
Lesson · New Hampshire Fish and Game reminded everyone that winter conditions still exist in the White Mountains and directed hikers to hikesafe.com for safe hiking tips and essential gear information.
56-year-old male from North Reading, Massachusetts
Jonathan Gullotti, 56, left the Glen Boulder trailhead at approximately 8:45 a.m. on April 20, 2026, became caught in a snowstorm, made several wrong turns, and ended up on the Rocky Branch Trail. He called for help after realizing he was lost and needed directions out. Conservation Officers and US Forest Service members drove to within approximately 2 miles of Gullotti and directed him out by approximately 7:40 p.m.
Lesson · Hikers are reminded that spring conditions in the mountains can change quickly and preparation is important; having the 10 essentials, including a map, can greatly improve the outcome of a mountain trip.
Three brothers, ages 27, 25, and 21, from Falmouth MA, Davis CA, and Santa Fe NM respectively
On February 15, 2026, three brothers reached the Mt. Webster ridge and had difficulty descending the trail in winter conditions, calling for help around 8:00 p.m. when approximately 2.5 miles from the nearest trailhead. Friends who had been climbing elsewhere in Crawford Notch saw their headlamps and hiked up to assist them. The group self-rescued and were met by a Conservation Officer at the trailhead shortly after 10:30 p.m.
Jayson Choy, 23, called for help at approximately 6:03 p.m. on October 19, 2025, after becoming unprepared above treeline near the summit of Little Haystack with no water, food, or light. Conservation Officers hiked up and located him just below the summit on the Falling Waters Trail at 8:14 p.m. He was provided supplies and escorted to the parking lot by 9:50 p.m., uninjured. Choy will be charged for the cost of the rescue.
Lesson
Fish and Game reminded hikers to always bring the ten essential items: warm clothing, extra food and water, headlamp, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jacket and pants, knife, and map and compass.
No headlampInadequate clothingNo emergency shelterUnderestimated distance
Vaughn Roy, 56, was descending the Boulder Loop Trail on Mt. Major when his headlamp stopped working. He attempted to use his cell phone flashlight but called 911 when his battery reached 4%. Conservation Officers and Lakes Region Search and Rescue hiked approximately 2.5 miles to his location, provided a headlamp, and escorted him out by 10:45 p.m.
Lesson
New Hampshire Fish and Game reminds hikers to prepare themselves before venturing out into the wilderness, including packing the ten essential items: map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, headlamp, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jackets and pants, and a knife.
Around 1:40 p.m. Saturday October 22, 2022, Edwards suffered injuries while descending Mount Avalon with a religious group and was unable to walk. A passerby called 911; Pemigewasset Valley SAR responded and a National Guard helicopter lifted him off the trail to the AMC Crawford Notch Visitor Center, then to Littleton Regional Hospital.
Just before midnight Saturday July 24, 2021, Avadanian aggravated a prior injury on the Beaver Brook Trail while hiking with her brother and father. They had reached a point just below the summit before turning back when she began having difficulty.
·No specific peak·Wild River Trail / Spruce Brook Tent site
Body recoveryOther
Edward Murphy, 50, of Sandown, NH
Murphy was on a multi-day hike in the Wild River Wilderness due to finish Wednesday May 26, 2021. When overdue, a search began Thursday May 27 and his body was found around 7:30 p.m. that day at the Spruce Brook Tent site. NHFG said he was killed when a tree to which he had attached his sleeping hammock fell and struck him, stating 'all indications point to this being a tragic accident.' Unusual non-locomotion fatality at a backcountry campsite.
·Mount Washington·Cutler River drainage / Mount Washington Auto Road
SAR (no subject found)Other
Porith Stephon Sou, 21, of Dracut, Massachusetts
Sou was listed missing from March 10, 2019; his vehicle was found at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center on March 16. Searchers received reports he may have been seen in the Cutler River drainage and on the Auto Road in early March, but an extensive search by Fish and Game, USFS Snow Rangers, Mountain Rescue Service, and AVSAR found no trace, and the search was suspended pending further information.
SoloNovice in winter terrain
·No specific peak·Dry River Wilderness, near the Isolation Trail (Cutts Grant)
Body recoveryOther
Gregory Auriemma, 63, of Brick, New Jersey (was battling cancer)
Auriemma was last seen in Conway on June 24, 2017, and was expected home July 5; he was reported missing when he did not return. AMC work crews found his body in the Dry River Wilderness on July 20. The cause of death was not stated.
Solo
·No specific peak·Old Bridle Path Trail
RescueOther
Family of three from Lakewood, NJ: Jed Einhorn (57), Miriam Einhorn (54), and their son Chaim Einhorn (31)
The Einhorn family of three set out from the Lafayette trailhead to hike a nine-mile loop and called 911 at approximately 9 p.m. after becoming stranded on the Old Bridle Path Trail in darkness, more than a mile from the trailhead. Conservation officers reached them at 11:15 p.m. and escorted them safely to the trailhead by 12:30 a.m.
Lesson
Hikers should allow enough time to complete their planned hike and be equipped with sufficient gear, including adequate lighting, in case the unexpected happens. Fish and Game recommended reviewing the hikeSafe code before heading out.
Louise Chaput, 52, an experienced solo hiker, set out for a short hike on November 15, 2001 and did not return. Her body was found on November 22, 2001 in the woods roughly 200 feet off the Glen Boulder Trail in Pinkham's Grant, southeast of Mount Washington. The autopsy confirmed she died of multiple stab and incised wounds. Her death was ruled a homicide and remains an open cold case; the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit issued a renewed public appeal for information in December 2025.
Sewall E. Faunce, 15, was killed by a collapsing snow arch in Tuckerman Ravine in July 1886. The earliest recorded death associated with Tuckerman Ravine.
Frequently asked questions
How many hiking deaths and rescues are documented in the White Mountains?+
This database documents 404 incidents in the White Mountain National Forest — including 150 fatalities — dating back to 1849. It is not a complete tally of every rescue: NH Fish and Game responds to roughly 200 backcountry incidents a year statewide. It captures the documented fatality record plus a growing, primary-sourced sample of rescues, updated daily.
What is the most common cause of hiking incidents in the White Mountains?+
In this dataset, the most frequently recorded primary factor is fall, in 176 incidents. Getting lost, falls, hypothermia, and underestimating the terrain recur throughout the record — and most are preventable with preparation.
Which White Mountain peak has the most recorded incidents?+
Mount Washington has the most recorded incidents in this database (137). Higher counts reflect both terrain and popularity — the busiest, most exposed peaks generate the most calls, so this is not a pure measure of danger.
Is Mount Washington dangerous to hike?+
Mount Washington and the Presidential Range pair some of the world's most extreme, fast-changing weather with miles of exposure above treeline. The documented record shows hypothermia, falls, and getting lost as recurring factors — even in summer. It is regularly hiked safely, but it demands real preparation: check the Higher Summits Forecast, carry layers and traction, and be willing to turn back.
How can I avoid needing a search and rescue?+
Follow the hikeSafe Hiker Responsibility Code — you are responsible for yourself, so be prepared: (1) with knowledge and gear, (2) to leave your plans, (3) to stay together, (4) to turn back, (5) for emergencies, and (6) to share the hiker code with others. Check the forecast, carry the Ten Essentials, start early, and turn around when conditions or daylight run short.
Where does this data come from, and can I cite it?+
Every entry is drawn from a primary or near-primary source — NH Fish and Game press releases, the Mount Washington Avalanche Center, the American Alpine Club accident archive, or major regional outlets quoting agency statements — and the database updates daily from new NH Fish and Game releases. You're welcome to cite it; a suggested citation and a downloadable CSV are at the bottom of this page.
About this dataset
This database contains 404 documented incidents in the White Mountain National Forest. Each row is sourced from a primary or near-primary report — NH Fish and Game press releases, the Mount Washington Avalanche Center, the American Alpine Club's accident archive, or major regional outlets quoting agency statements.
The rescue-to-fatality ratio shown here is not the WMNF safety ratio. Fatalities have been consistently archived since the 19th century; routine rescues have not. NH Fish and Game handles roughly 200 backcountry incidents a year statewide — this database currently captures a fraction of them in detail, alongside the historical fatality record. Modern-era (2015+) figures are the most representative.
Every entry is a real person and a real event. We publish them as a public-safety resource, not as a memorial leaderboard. Names appear only when published in the cited source. If you are a family member and would like an entry adjusted or removed, contact us via the site footer.
Citing this data: HikerNerd. (2026). White Mountain National Forest Hiker Incident Database. https://hikernerd.com/safety/incidents