A hiker near the summit of a New Hampshire mountain called 911 on Saturday to report that his feet were frozen -- then the call dropped due to poor cellphone service, wildlife officials said.
According to a news release on Monday from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Nathan Stark, 22, of Newport, New Hampshire, called 911 at around 11:30 a.m. EST.
Stark was hiking in the White Mountains and was on the final day of a multi-day trip with a friend but became separated by “a short distance on the Desolation Trail” near the summit of Mount Carrigain, according to the news release.
He called for help, but his call to a 911 dispatcher dropped because of bad cellphone service in the area, the Valley News of Lebanon reported. Attempts to reach him failed, according to the newspaper.
Shortly after making the call, Stark was rejoined by his hiking partner, who was able to get him moving, wildlife officials said. Instead of taking the shortest route back to the trailhead over Mount Carrigain, the pair hiked eight miles in the opposite direction.
The pair reached the trailhead at about 5:30 p.m. EST, according to the news release.
Mount Carrigain has an elevation of over 4,600 feet above sea level.
According to wildlife officials, snow and icy conditions will continue for the rest of the season, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported. Officials cautioned that conditions at trailheads are not an accurate predictor of the conditions that might be found at higher elevations.