Hiker tumbles off fire tower on mountain’s peak before photo shoot, NH officials say

A hiker planning to take photos from a mountain’s peak seriously hurt his head after tumbling off the fire tower atop the summit in New Hampshire, officials say.

Another hiker saw the man fall from below and called 911 to Mt. Kearsarge North in Chatham on Sunday, April 3, according to a New Hampshire Fish and Game news release.

The 25-year-old man from South Portland was hiking with a friend who gave him first aid as they waited for first responders, the news release said. He “sustained serious head injuries from the impact of the fall.”

Responders called the Army National Guard Medical Aviation “after speaking to (the man’s) hiking companion and determining that his condition was worsening and potentially life threatening,” according to NH Fish and Game.

A medivac helicopter arrived and hoisted the injured hiker up from the mountain’s peak and brought him to a nearby hospital “for evaluation and treatment,” the news release said.

“Conservation Officers would like to remind everyone to plan for a safe hike and for constantly changing weather conditions,” officials said.

“Leave plenty of time and bring dedicated equipment even on short hikes.”

Mt. Kearsarge North is roughly 3,268 feet tall.

This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Hiker tumbles off fire tower on mountain’s peak before photo shoot, NH officials say."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.