Two unprepared hikers who got lost in New Hampshire's White Mountains may have to foot the bill for their rescue say officials.
According to a news report from New Hampshire Fish and Game, Louis Scotti, 33, of Cranston, RI and Bartosz Zienkiewicz, 34, of Naugatuck, CT began hiking the popular nine-mile Franconia Ridge trail at 7am on Saturday, January 18. The pair made it to the Greenleaf Hut as intended, but followed the wrong trail down because weather conditions made it hard to see trail markers. The men called for assistance near Eagle's Pass because they thought they were hypothermic.
According to NHFG, rescue crews found that the men were "inadequately prepared" for the rain, sleet, and snow that was forecast that day. Furthermore, neither Scotti nor Zienkiewicz possessed Hike Safe cards, which cover the cost of rescue in New Hampshire. On Monday, New Hampshire officials recommended the men be charged for their rescue.
Ordinarily, mountain rescue is a service provided by volunteers free of charge to those in need, but in New Hampshire, hikers may be billed for services if it is determined they were negligent. It has not yet been decided how much the men could be on the hook for, but previous cases have resulted in charges from hundreds to thousands of dollars. The NHFG carries out approximately 180 rescues each year and 10 - 12 of those typically result in charges according to CT Insider.
In November, we reported that a "woefully unprepared" hiker had been recommended for charges after attempting to hike Mount Washington in winter conditions then crawling inside a Snow Cat and refusing to get out. Last February, another hiker who required a 12-hour rescue from the same mountain also faced charges.
Zienkiewicz tells Valley News that he had never hiked in winter before and accepts the charges as the consequences of his actions, and the price for his life.
“If I see a fine or a bill or whatever you need to call it, I'm happy to be able to pay that bill versus not paying it, of course, if things had gotten really bad and they couldn't find us.”
NHFG warns all hikers in the White Mountains to be prepared for winter conditions. That includes wearing proper footwear – hiking boots not running shoes – and carrying traction devices such as Microspikes. Wear proper hiking layers and even if the skies are blue, carry additional layers such as a down jacket for insulation, a waterproof jacket and rain pants to prepare you for changing conditions. For more information about preparing for your White Mountain hike visit www.hikeSafe.com.
