Hiker Survives 200-Foot Fall on Mount Washington

Ashley Furness, 35, was rescued with the Cog Railway train's help
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 23, 2020 4:04 PM CDT
Hiker Survives 200-Foot Fall on Mount Washington
In this Sept. 24, 2017, file photo, a vintage coal-fired steam engine pushes a passenger car up the Cog Railway on a 3.8-mile journey to the summit of 6,288-foot Mount Washington in New Hampshire.   (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

A hiker descending Mount Washington who fell about 200 feet and got hurt was rescued with the help of the Cog Railway train that takes visitors up and down the summit during tourism season. New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers said the hiker, Ashley Furness, 35, of Bartlett, was with a companion on Sunday afternoon when she slipped and fell, striking several rocks. She was descending along the railway tracks and was about 2 miles up from the railway station, reports the AP. "It was these rocks that ultimately saved her from plunging into the ravine, a fall that would have likely proved fatal," Lt. Mark Ober, Jr. said in a news release. "Her companion was able to descend to her position, place a call for help, and keep her warm with a space blanket until rescuers arrived."

Rescuers could only get so far using an ATV and snowmobiles. Crews hiked the rest of the way and reached Furness after several hours, but her injuries were severe and she couldn't walk, Ober said. Due to the steep, icy terrain and remote location, the Cog Railway prepared a train to retrieve Furness. In the meantime, a rescue belay was set up with ropes and other gear to hoist Furness up to the tracks. The train reached her and returned to a waiting ambulance at the base around 11pm Sunday. "Without the use of the train, we were looking at a potentially all-night rescue scenario which would have included calling in several dozen additional rescuers and technical rope teams just to get the injured hiker down the mountain safely," Ober said.

(More Mount Washington stories.)

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