Andover man dies during cold and wet traverse through New Hampshire’s White Mountains

BERLIN, N.H. – An Andover man died over the weekend after he was overcome by moist and chilly circumstances whereas climbing by New Hampshire’s White Mountain vary.

New Hampshire Fish and Recreation mentioned 53-year-old Xi Chen was making an attempt a Presidential Traverse, which is round 20 miles throughout every mountain within the Presidential Vary of the White Mountains.

Chen turned severely hypothermic on the Gulfside Path close to Mt. Clay Saturday night time into early Sunday morning, prompting what was described as a “excessive threat rescue” try.

Fish and Recreation officers mentioned Chen texted his spouse round 6:30 p.m. to say he was chilly and moist and couldn’t proceed on, including he felt he would die and not using a rescue.

Rescuers labored to succeed in Chen regardless of freezing temperatures, precipitation, and winds gusting over 80 MPH.

The primary workforce discovered Chen unresponsive round 10:30 p.m. They positioned a shelter over Chen and tried to heat him up.

Chen didn’t reply, however confirmed indicators of life, so the workforce started carrying him towards the summit of Mt. Washington. He was carried over a mile to a ready truck and pushed to an ambulance on the base of the mountain round 1 a.m.

Chen was rushed to an space hospital, however didn’t survive regardless of a number of subsequent hours of rescue efforts.

Rescuers obtained a number of calls on Saturday for hikers who have been chilly and moist, nearly all of which have been in excessive elevation within the Presidential Vary. New Hampshire Fish and Recreation warned that hikers ought to use warning to keep away from related conditions.

“Typically having sufficient gear isn’t sufficient. In climate circumstances skilled this weekend it’s higher to descend and get out of the wind and chilly as a substitute of pushing on till it’s too late,” Fish and Recreation mentioned in an announcement.