Mount Washington

2 hikers from Mass. rescued on Mount Washington

Kathryn McKee of Southborough, Massachusetts, and Beata Lelacheur of Westborough were rescued amid whiteout conditions on New Hampshire's highest peak

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Crews rescued two hikers from Massachusetts who became lost Sunday night on Mount Washington.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division said Monday that it had learned of the hikers' disappearance shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday.

The hikers, identified as 51-year-old Kathryn McKee of Southborough and 54-year-old Beata Lelacheur of Westborough, "were stuck in very deep snow" about 5,000 feet above sea level amid whiteout conditions, officials said.

"You slowly begin to realize you are in more and more trouble, and you can't self-rescue, you can't believe you are in this situation, you feel ashamed you are in this situation, but you are damned if you are going to die but you do your best to keep going," McKee told NBC10 Boston.

Using GPS coordinates, rescuers learned McKee and Lelacheur were just 34 feet from the trail when they called 911. An officer was able to help lead them back to the trail over the phone.

"Over the next two hours, McKee and Lelacheur fought through chest-deep snow and 'spruce traps' (holes created in the snow underneath trees) to try to regain the trail," wildlife officials said in their press release. "They ended up on the trail several times but could not follow it as it had been completely erased by wind and snow. After multiple attempts and calls with Fish and Game, the two needed to huddle up in the snow to keep warm and await assistance."

New Hampshire Fish and Game said by 8:30 p.m., it was involved in "a full blown rescue operation," with subzero temperatures and winds gusting well above 60 mph.

"We knew what we were asking and it was really hard to put other people's lives at risk for a recreational activity, we did everything we could to avoid that," McKee said.

Nine rescuers aboard a snow cat made their way up the mountain, arriving at the summit just before midnight and finding the hikers around 1:50 a.m.

Both were suffering from cold-weather injuries, with crews setting up emergency shelters to help them regain warmth.

Officials said the hikers were able to move on their own by about 3 a.m., and the group reached the base station of the Cog Railway by 4:15.

One of the hikers was taken by ambulance to Littleton Regional Hospital for further treatment.

While wildlife officials say the hikers were prepared with their gear, the ordeal highlights the dangers weather can bring.

"This incident is perfect example of the need to prepare for the unexpected," the New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division wrote. "Both hikers were prepared and had winter hiking experience, but ultimately encountered unforeseen conditions. Had they not had the amount of gear with them that they did, it is unlikely that they would have survived until rescuers reached them. Although technology and experience is certainly helping to find people more quickly, the fact remains that Mother Nature has the final say, and preparedness, above all, is the difference between life and death in the mountains of New Hampshire."

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