Emergency responders and hut crews had to be rescued after two hiking parties became dangerously cold on New Hampshire’s Mount Lafayette due to low temperatures and rain.
Mount Lafayette in sunny weather (Photo: Daniel Hanscom/iStock via Getty)
Published on June 23, 2026 05:05 am
On June 19, New Hampshire Fish and Game (NHFG) received a call about two hypothermic hikers on the summit of 5,260-foot-high Mount Lafayette. Jason Fischer and Dmytro GrecoBoth of them, 19 years old, successfully reached the top of the summit, but began suffering from symptoms of exposure. According to a press release from NHFG, hikers told emergency services that they had “no visibility, no lights, and no warm clothes.”
Although highs were seen in the nearby city of Lincoln low 70s On Friday, conditions near the summit of Mount Lafayette were dramatically different, with freezing rain, high winds and zero visibility. That night, the weather station at nearby Mount Washington recorded a low of 40°F.
Shortly after the call, two members of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Greenleaf Hut Crew Head to the summit to explore both. By the time they located the pedestrians, Greco was unresponsive.
Due to the severity of Greco’s condition, Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue and Lakes Region Search and Rescue team members were dispatched to assist in transporting him to the Greenleaf Hut. During the descent, a volunteer was “seriously injured” and had to be carried back to the trailhead, state officials said.
At the hut, the crews were able to warm the hikers, and Greco eventually regained consciousness. The condition of the hikers improved overnight and the next morning, rescue workers assisted the team down the old bridle pathWhere he received an ambulance to take him to Littleton Regional Hospital for additional medical treatment.
While assisting the first two hikers, rescuers received a second call from a party who had begun experiencing symptoms of hypothermia as they descended from Lafayette. Rescue workers found the hikers about a mile from the trail, where they provided them with lights and warm clothing before carrying them down.
Mount Lafayette is one of New Hampshire’s most popular peaks, but its exposed ridgeline and relatively high elevation can create dangerous conditions for hikers. Rapid weather changes are also common throughout the region, making proper layers and emergency equipment essential even in summer.
New Hampshire Fish and Game reminded hikers that conditions in the White Mountains may differ from nearby towns, and urged adventurers to carry ten essentials, including warm layers, a headlamp, navigation equipment, extra food and water, and emergency supplies. The agency also urged hikers headed to the Whites to check the high summit forecast at the Mount Washington Observatory mountwashington.org.
How to recognize and treat hypothermia
Hypothermia may be more common in cold weather, but it can also pose a threat in summer, especially at high altitudes. Learn how to prevent it, recognize its symptoms, and provide first aid before the problem escalates with this primer.
