Hiker suffers hypothermia during trek on New England's highest peak amid East Coast heat wave

In a striking opposition to the sweltering heat gripping overmuch of the East Coast, a 55-year-old hiker from Texas was rescued successful frigid and treacherous conditions Friday evening from the precocious peaks of New Hampshire's White Mountains.

Caroline Wilson, 55, of Austin, Texas, was recovered hypothermic and unresponsive connected the Gulfside Trail, astir 1 mile northbound of the Cog Railway tracks, portion hiking Mount Washington, New England’s highest peak, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said successful a release.

The section said Wilson became incapacitated during the hike, prompting her hubby to telephone 911 astatine 5 p.m. He told authorities that she could nary longer determination oregon communicate.

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The telephone came successful astatine 5 p.m. via 911 from the hiker’s husband, who reported that his woman was incapable to determination oregon communicate. The hiker was identified arsenic Caroline Wilson, 55, from Austin, Texas. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)

Conservation Officer Rachael Stocker told Fox News Digital that she assisted successful the rescue mission, and said Wilson was wearing fabric basal layers during her trek. She said fabric is not the champion to deterioration during hiking due to the fact that the worldly is absorbant to sweat.

She noted that connected Friday, it was raining intermittently, causing the 55-year-old to succumb to the elements and endure from terrible hypothermia.

"The White Mountains tin beryllium beauteous unforgiving," she said. "Weather changes present successful a flash." Photos from the country of the rescue captured the misty situation and steep rocky terrain.

New Hampshire Fish and Game reached retired to the Cog Railway for assistance successful relaying rescuers up the bid tracks, the section said. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)

New Hampshire Fish and Game Department conservation officers, on with volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, Pemigewassett Valley Search and Rescue, Mountain Rescue Service and unit from the Mount Washington Cog Railway, mounted a analyzable effect successful severe alpine conditions to rescue Wilson. 

Despite a vigor question sweeping cities from Boston to Baltimore, conditions supra 5,000 feet successful the White Mountains were thing but warm. On the acme of Mount Washington connected Friday, temperatures hovered astir 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with upwind speeds reaching 120 mph and dense unreality screen reducing visibility.

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Rescuers had to negociate precocious winds and debased unreality screen to scope Caroline Wilson, the section said. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)

Several hikers successful the portion were reported suffering from hypothermia passim the day, the section noted. 

The Cog Railway played a important relation successful the rescue operation, transporting rescue teams up the upland and sparing them a grueling three-mile ascent via the Jewell Trail, the section said.

The archetypal rescue squad reached the ridgeline astatine 7 p.m., with a 2nd squad arriving an hr later. Rescuers battled precocious winds and acold arsenic they built a impermanent structure to stabilize Wilson earlier carrying her backmost to the waiting train.

Upon accomplishment astatine the basal station, Wilson was handed implicit to a Twin Mountain ambulance unit and transported to Littleton Regional Healthcare for further treatment, the section said.

Once the 2nd squad arrived, Caroline Wilson was placed successful the litter and carried backmost crossed Gulfside Trail to the awaiting Cog Railway. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)

Officials credited the palmy result to the tireless efforts of rescue volunteers and the Cog Railway’s continued enactment successful exigency efforts. 

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"The upwind was not large and the conditions were perchance life-threatening," a section said, "but each radical responded to the telephone for assistance and endured less-than-hospitable upwind conditions to prevention the beingness of this hiker."