Authorities rescued a man suffering from hypothermia and frostbite after reporting a fall and injury in the Ammonusuc Ravine of New Hampshire's Mount Washington on Saturday.
New Hampshire Fish and Game says they responded to a 911 call from 22-year-old Cole Matthes, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire reporting that he had an injury and needed help.
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Conservation Officers on the Advanced Search and Rescue Team, Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team, and Mountain Rescue Service moved quickly along with the assistance of The Cog Railway to try to rescue Matthes on the coordinates that were well off trail in a drainage ravine west of Westside Trail and north of Crawford Path at approximately 4,500 feet in elevation, according to authorities.
After the first rescue crew made their way to the coordinates in conditions of sustained winds at 90+ MPH, a wind-chill of -52 F and an ambient temperature of -9 F, Matthes called that he had made his way to the Lakes in the Clouds Hut and was below the building in the emergency shelter in need of assistance, authorities say.
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When the crew arrived to the emergency shelter, they discovered Matthes was not injured but suffering from hypothermia while wearing clothes that were frozen, NH Fish & Game says.
According to the authorities, it took over three hours to slowly warm Matthes while removing his frozen clothes and his boots thawed out.
An ambulance team treated Matthes for hypothermia and frostbite. Matthes then refused treatment and was brought to his vehicle, authorities say.
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New Hampshire Fish & Game pointed out that Matthes had made numerous poor decisions and put the lives of the rescuers in danger as they made their way to the area.
"If it was not for the willingness and timeliness of The Cog Railway, the rescuers, and others, Matthes would have undoubtedly died on the mountain," the agency said in a statement. "The list of people who have died on the Presidential Range will stay at 173 for now thanks to the rescue effort that saved Cole Matthes’ life on Saturday February 17, 2024."
