A hiker from Texas was rescued from Mount Osceola in Livermore, New Hampshire, on Wednesday after becoming stranded on a ledge in slippery conditions.
New Hampshire Fish and Game said they were alerted to a hiker in need of assistance shortly after noon Wednesday. A passing hiker called 911 to report the hiker was stranded on a ledge and could not continue up or down safely. The passing hiker had heard the lone stranded hiker's cries for help as she was traveling down the Osceola Trail from the mountain's summit. The passing hiker said they could not safely reach the area where the stranded hiker was to assist them.
A short time later, the stranded hiker also called 911 and reported that she had inadvertently left the Osceola Trail and when she encountered the exposed bare rock she thought it was the trail and continued up. As the terrain got steeper she got to a point where she couldn't continue up or down.
Three Fish and Game conservation officers hiked two miles from the trailhead, arriving at the area of the stranded hiker around 3 p.m. They were quickly able to find a route to the hiker and assisted her off the slope with the use of a rope and climbing harness. By 4:50 p.m., the group had made it back to the trailhead.
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The stranded hiker was identified by Fish and Game officials as 49-year-old Misty Hughes, of Houston, Texas. She was not injured and was reunited with her family at the trailhead.
Fish and Game officials said they urge hikers to wear appropriate footwear while hiking, as the steady rain that has fallen over the months of June and July has resulted in slipperier than usual trail conditions in New Hampshire, leading to numerous injuries.
