Injured Hiker Assisted off Jewell Trail

CONTACT:
Lieutenant Mark Ober
603-788-4850
03-271-3361
September 6, 2023

Thompson & Meserves Purchase, NH – On Tuesday, September 5, 2023, at approximately 2:00 p.m., NH Fish and Game Conservation Officers were notified of an injured hiker on the Jewell Trail approximately 2/10 of a mile below the Gulfside Trail junction. The call came in via 911 reporting an unknown leg injury. A rescue response was initiated with Conservation Officers and a volunteer from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue (AVSAR) responding to the summit of Mt. Washington and hiking down to the patient.

While waiting for a rescue response, the hiker, identified as Alys Cohen, 57, of Takoma Park, MD, was able to secure the injured leg with a knee brace and slowly work her way up the trail towards the Mt. Washington summit with assistance from her hiking companions. They made it to the Gulfside Trail by 4:00 p.m. as the first rescuers were descending from the summit. At 4:20 p.m., the first rescuer reached the group. At this time, Cohen was able to continue on under her own power and make it to the Cog Railway tracks. A call was made to the Cog and the last train departing the summit stopped and assisted Cohen and her three hiking companions onto the train and descended to the base.

Cohen and her companions had hiked up the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail on Monday, September 4 and spent the night at the Lakes of the Clouds AMC hut. They summited Mt. Washington Tuesday morning and were descending Jewell Trail when she suffered two separate injuries to her knee. After the first injury, Cohen was able to continue on, but the second injury prompted a call to 911. Cohen had all the proper gear and possessed a Hike Safe card.

NH Fish and Game would like to recognize the assistance from the Cog Railway staff, who stopped the descent of one of their trains and waited for Cohen to reach the tracks. They have been a huge asset in assisting with various rescues over the years and continue to provide whatever assistance they can to expedite the evacuation of injured hikers when called upon.