CONTACT:
Conservation Officer Sgt. Matthew Holmes
603-788-4850
February 15, 2026
Sargent’s Purchase, NH– On the afternoon of Sunday, February 15, 2026, rescue personnel responded to Mt. Washington to assist a young man who was experiencing a medical emergency after hiking to the summit.
At 1:00 p.m., New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers were notified of a 15-year-old male who was experiencing a significant allergic reaction near the summit buildings. Officers quickly learned that the patient was hiking with a group of Boy Scouts from Connecticut, and that the group was tending to him and rendering first aid. It was also learned that the group had been able to alert an employee of Mt. Washington State Park, who located the individual and got him into a warm building.
Conservation Officers coordinated a rescue effort with New Hampshire State Parks and personnel from Gorham EMS. State Parks readied their Snow Cat and ultimately transported a Conservation Officer and EMS personnel up the Mt. Washington Auto Road to the summit, arriving there at 3:11 p.m. The patient was quickly loaded into the Snow Cat and transported back down the mountain, arriving safely at the base at 4:00 p.m. Once roadside, the young man was taken by ambulance to Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin for further evaluation and treatment.
The patient in this case was found to be prepared for his hike, as was his group. New Hampshire State Parks, Gorham EMS, and New Hampshire Fish and Game were also prepared, which made for a very successful rescue effort.