Topsfield Hiker Seriously Hurt In Fall On New Hampshire's Mount Major
ALTON, N.H. (CBS) – A hiker from Massachusetts was seriously hurt in a fall on New Hampshire's Mount Major over the weekend.
Matthew McGaunn, 19, of Topsfield was with a group from UMass Lowell's outdoor adventure program Saturday when he lost traction on a steep and icy section of a trail below the mountain's summit. He slid about 200 feet off of the trail and ended up with a serious head injury.
Firefighters and conservation officers got him into a rescue sled, but because of the dangerous conditions, it took them several hours to get off of the mountain.
McGaunn was rushed to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. There's no word yet on his condition.
UMass Lowell released a statement saying, "We are grateful to all who helped get Matthew McGaunn to safety following his injury during a hike on Mount Major. The university community will do all we can to assist as he recovers."
On their way up the mountain to rescue McGaunn, conservation officers say they found another injured hiker from Massachusetts. Emily Field, 26, of Medford, also slipped and fell on the icy trail. New Hampshire Fish and Game said her injury was "non-life threatening" and she went to get treatment on her own.
