CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Levi Frye
603-788-4850
603-271-3361
April 25, 2022
Shelburne, NH – On Saturday April 23, 2022 at approximately 10:30 a.m., Fish and Game Conservation Officers were notified of an injured hiker on the Carter-Moriah Trail in Shelburne.
The hiker, identified as Karen Coughlin, 56, of Plymouth, NH, was attempting to summit Mt. Moriah with her hiking companion when she took a step to avoid ice on a rock ledge on the trail 2.7 miles in from the trailhead. It was during this maneuver that she heard an audible “snap” and felt immediate pain in her lower leg. Her hiking companion came to her aid and dialed 911, initiating a rescue response from NH Fish and Game Conservation Officers and 6 volunteer members of the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team (AVSAR).
Prior to rescue personnel arriving on scene, Coughlin was assisted by other hikers to make her more comfortable until help could arrive. Conservation Officers were able to bring ATVs over a mile up the trail and then hiked the rest of the way to assist Coughlin.
Coughlin was carried by the five Conservation Officers and six volunteers for over a mile where she was then loaded onto an ATV and transported to the trailhead where she was met by the Gorham Ambulance. Gorham Ambulance assessed her injury and transported her to Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin for treatment.
Coughlin is an experienced hiker who was prepared for spring hiking conditions in the White Mountains and had purchased a Hike Safe card.
NH Fish and Game would like to remind hikers venturing into the White Mountains this time of year to be prepared for wet, icy, and snowy conditions, especially at higher elevations.