A New Hampshire National Guard helicopter was called in to help rescue a 77-year-old Massachusetts man injured while hiking Mt. Garfield in Franconia on Tuesday.
Around 3:54 p.m. Tuesday, conservation officers were notified of an injured hiker on the Garfield Ridge Trail in Franconia.
The hiker was located about one-quarter mile from the summit of Mt. Garfield when he “tripped and fell into a tree,” New Hampshire Fish and Game Sgt. Heidi Murphy said in a statement.
The hiker, identified as Raymond Pike, 77, of Salisbury, Mass., sustained significant injuries in the fall, rendering him unable to move, officials said.
Pike was hiking with his niece, who called 911 and stabilized her uncle while awaiting rescue.
A conservation officer responded to the Garfield Trail to hike to Pike’s location.
“Due to the severity of his injuries and distance from the trailhead, the N.H. Army National Guard was called to request their assistance in the rescue efforts,” Murphy said in a statement.
A National Guard flight crew was sent to the Garfield Ridge Trail around 5:40 pm. Pike was assessed by an Army medic, placed in a litter, and hoisted into a helicopter.
Pike and the crew arrived at Dartmouth Health in Lebanon at approximately 6:50 p.m. for evaluation and treatment.
A conservation officer arrived on scene just before Pike was hoisted, and he hiked with Pike’s niece out via the Garfield Trail. They arrived safely at the trailhead around 9:30 p.m.
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