Hiker Rescued After Falling, Losing Shoe, and Becoming Hypothermic on New Hampshire Mountain

A man was rescued Thursday after falling and losing one of his shoes while hiking Mount Washington in New Hampshire, officials said.

The incident happened just before 7:00 p.m. when Joabe Barbosa, 23, of Georgetown, Kentucky, was hiking in the area, NBC Boston reported Friday.

A Kentucky man had to be rescued by conservation officers after falling and hitting his head and face and losing a sneaker while hiking on New Hampshire's Mount Washington on Thursday. https://t.co/Bs9Ao7ATqB

— NECN (@NECN) March 8, 2024

The hiker left the trail and went toward the Ammonoosuc Ravine, which is an area that features waterfalls.

However, “While descending into the ravine, Barbosa fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers, and eventually became hypothermic,” authorities with New Hampshire Fish and Game said in press release:

Barbosa called 911 and requested help. This call was sent to a Conservation Officer along with the GPS coordinates of Barbosa’s location. The coordinates showed Barbosa well off trail in a drainage ravine alongside one of the tributaries of the Ammonoosuc River, north of the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail at approximately 3,600 feet in elevation.

Barbosa was located by Conservation Officers and a Volunteer EMT from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue at 10:29 p.m.

Once officials made contact with the hiker, he was provided with boots, food, a warm drink, proper winter gear, and a headlamp. Authorities then helped him get back to the trail and eventually the Cog Railway parking lot.

The group made it to the Cog Railway base station just before 1:40 a.m. on Friday, where an ambulance treated Barbosa’s injuries. He was eventually taken to a local hospital to receive additional care.

Officials said Barbosa was not prepared to handle such a hike, according to the NBC report.

In February, a hiker named Cole Matthes drifted off the trail as he hiked Mount Washington in rapidly dropping temperatures. When he ran into a patch of snow-covered ice, Matthes slid down into a ravine, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The outlet continued:

His fall Saturday sparked a rescue mission that would last 11 hours, utilize the mountain’s famed Cog Railway and prompt harsh criticism from rescuers, who said the hiker made “numerous poor decisions” in preparing for the hike and then deciding to push on. Both Matthes and the rescuers agree that without help, he would have died within hours.

Matthes later expressed his gratitude to his rescuers and said he was sorry they had to risk their lives to save him.

“I certainly made poor decisions and was underprepared for this hike,” he added.