CONTACT:
Sgt. Heidi Murphy
603-744-5470
603-271-3361
October 24, 2022
Bethlehem, NH – At approximately 1:40 p.m. on October 22, 2022, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of an injured hiker on the Mt. Avalon Trail in Bethlehem. The hiker was identified as Shawn Edwards, 54, of Hebron, ME. Edwards was hiking with a religious group for the day. They had ascended Mt. Avalon and were descending from the summit when Edwards misjudged a steep section of the trail and took a fall, causing injuries that made him unable to walk down the mountain without assistance. A passing hiker made a call to 911 for help.
Members of the Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team and the NH Army National Guard were called to see if they could assist in the rescue efforts. The guard sent a flight crew to Edwards’s location arriving at 2:40 p.m. They placed Edwards in a litter and hoisted him into the helicopter where he was brought to the AMC Crawford Notch Visitor Center. Edwards was transported to Littleton Regional Healthcare for further evaluation and treatment by the Twin Mountain Ambulance Service.
New Hampshire Fish and Game would like to remind hikers to prepare themselves before venturing out into the wilderness, including packing the ten essential items: map, compass, warm clothing, extra food and water, headlamp, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jackets and pants, and a knife. For additional information, please visit www.hikeSafe.com.