Two Fairfax County FFs found safe on New Hampshire mountain range
Click here for video from WMUR-TV, including the arrival by helicopter and interviews with McCay and Obert.
CRAWFORD NOTCH, N.H. — Two hikers missing in Crawford Notch since Sunday were found Tuesday morning, officials said.
Alex Obert, 30, and Steven McCay, 29, both of Arlington, Va., were found on the back side of Mount Eisenhower and appeared to be in good condition. A helicopter spotted the men walking and took them off the mountain at about 10:30 a.m.
“We’re feeling pretty good,” Obert said. “Glad to be out of the weather and into some dry clothes.”
The men appeared tired but in good condition when they got off the helicopter at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center, where they were greeted with hugs from family and friends.
“This is so wonderful,” said McCay’s mother through tears. “We want to thank all the rescue people and all the Fish and Game people for all they’ve done.”
The hikers said the weather turned on them Sunday, making it difficult to see.
“The wind and snow and the rain just cut our visibility to zero,” McCay said. “We couldn’t see.”
Although the men had maps, a compass and GPS, they found themselves hemmed in by deepening water from the storm. They said it was difficult to navigate the poor trail conditions.
“Traveling was tough,” Obert said. “With a pack in excess of 250 pounds and with snowshoes going through 5-foot snow — it was rigorous.”
“The wind and snow and the rain just cut our visibility to zero. We couldn’t see.”
The hikers were well equipped, and they credited their gear with helping them survive two nights on the mountain. Officials said they were on their way off the mountain when they were spotted by a National Guard helicopter.
Several teams swept the trails on foot and stopped the search at 9 p.m. Monday. Officials said rainy conditions were making the search difficult, but they did find some footprints.
Weather conditions made it impossible to use a helicopter on Monday, but better weather allowed the helicopter to search from the sky on Tuesday.
Friends of the men said they are paramedics and firefighters in Virginia. The men hiked the same area of the Presidential Trail last summer and had recently ice climbed in Colorado.
As to whether they plan to get out on the trails again soon, McCay and Obert said they plan to take it easy for now.
“Nothing any time soon,” Obert said. “I’m just going to relax and rest up after this one.”
A number of hikers have disappeared in recent weeks. Two hikers from Massachusetts survived a frigid night on Mount Washington in early February by sheltering in a hole they dug in the snow.
Last week, one of two hikers in Franconia Notch was pronounced dead after the two men were found. The other man was recovering from hypothermia and frostbite. Rescuers said the men were not properly equipped to spend a cold night on the mountain.
A hiker from Boston was rescued on Saturday after losing his way in whiteout conditions during a hike in Franconia Notch on Friday. Officials said Benjamin Davis, 28, had a sleeping bag, tent and cold-weather gear but didn’t have snowshoes and was running a risk by hiking alone. He was released from a hospital on Sunday.
Below is our earlier coverage that began on Monday evening:
This photo (and the one below) of Alex Obert and Steve McCay was taken Sunday by friend Will Kirk. From WMUR-TV.
Fairfax County, VA officials confirm two of their firefighters are missing while hiking in New Hampshire. Technician Alex Obert, Station 14-Technician Steve McCay, who is assigned to Station 411 on A-shift, and Technician Alex Obert, assigned to Station 414 on C-shift, are a day late in returning from the White Mountains. They are the subjects of an extensive search that was suspended until daylight Tuesday.
Update at 9:30 AM:
Obert and McCay were in recruit school together a little more than six years ago. Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department spokesman Dan Schmidt tells STATter 911 that the men are experienced hikers, with a high skill level. The pair had been to the White Mountains in the summer to do planning for this trip. Both are well thought of members of the department. Schmidt says all thoughts and prayers are for their safety.
We also talked to Frank Murphy who has been roomates with Obert and McCay in Arlington. He tells me Alex Obert is originally from Vienna and Steve McCay from Fauquier County. Both Schmidt and Murphy have no new information on today’s search.
TV coverage:
WMUR-TV is covering the search and talked with Will Kirk, the friend of the two firefighters. Kirk says he left them Sunday to get the car and meet his friends at the end of the trail.
Steve McCay on the left, Alex Obert on the right
Here is the latest story filed by WMUR-TV at 7:37 AM Tuesday:
CRAWFORD NOTCH, N.H. — Teams suspended their search Monday night for two Virginia hikers believed lost in Crawford Notch.
Fish and Game Department officials said Alex Obert, 30, and Steven McCay, 29, both of Arlington, Va., were planning to hike Presidential Traverse and exit at the Highland Center at the top of Crawford Notch on Sunday afternoon.
The two men were last seen at about 8:30 a.m. Sunday and might have been spotted by hikers north of Jefferson, N.H., at about 11:30 a.m., officials said.
Several teams swept the trails on foot and stopped the search at 9 p.m. Monday. Officials said rainy conditions were making the search difficult.
The men ar
e believed to be well equipped with good hiking experience.
Friends of the men said they are paramedics and firefighters in Virginia. The men hiked the same area of the Presidential Trail last summer and had recently ice climbed in Colorado.
A number of hikers have disappeared in recent weeks. Two hikers from Massachusetts survived a frigid night on Mount Washington in early February by sheltering in a hole they dug in the snow.
Last week, one of two hikers in Franconia Notch was pronounced dead after the two men were found. The other man was recovering from hypothermia and frostbite. Rescuers said the men were not properly equipped to spend a cold night on the mountain.
A hiker from Boston was rescued on Saturday after losing his way in whiteout conditions during a hike in Franconia Notch on Friday. Officials said Benjamin Davis, 28, had a sleeping bag, tent and cold-weather gear but didn’t have snowshoes and was running a risk by hiking alone. He was released from a hospital on Sunday.
From the Manchester Union Leader at 12:05 AM:
Alex Obert and Steven McCay awoke in the black of night Sunday and headed out to Mount Madison. Their plan was to climb every peak in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range, all in a single day.
More than 24 hours later, the men had yet to resurface. Rescue crews were still searching for them last night.
Authorities believe the men, both experienced winter hikers from Arlington, Va., were caught in a heavy downpour that soaked the White Mountains overnight Sunday and yesterday morning.
“They may have dropped off into one of the ravines to seek shelter,” said Lt. Douglas Gralenski, of New Hampshire Fish and Game. “And if they did that, they would be physically OK, but miles from nowhere.”
Heavy fog made it tough for search teams to comb the area yesterday. The difficulty was compounded by rain and swift winds, as well as a coat of slush and ice on the trailways.
Officials wanted to search the range by helicopter, Gralenski said, but the weather made it impossible to fly.
“It’s still raining, and we’re getting a lot of fog,” Gralenski said yesterday. “It’s just miserable.”
Obert, 30, and McCay, 29, are frequent hikers and were well-prepared for an arduous trek in the cold and rain, officials said. They wore winter coats and brought plenty of gear, including snowshoes and crampons.
Each had a cell phone, Gralenski said. Officials tried their phone numbers repeatedly yesterday, but never got an answer.
The hikers’ adventure began at 2:30 a.m. Sunday at the base of Mount Madison. They and a friend, Will Chere, headed up the Valley Way trail with hopes of seeing the sun rise over the tree line, Gralenski said.
They stopped between Mount Madison and Mount Adams at 8:30 a.m. Chere, who never intended to make the full trek, turned back around and headed for the car, Gralenski said. He planned to meet Obert and McCay at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center when they finished hiking Sunday night.
Chere called for help when his friends didn’t show up. Gralenski said he was put on the case around 2:30 a.m. yesterday.
At that point, he said, it was pitch black and raining hard. Gralenski waited until first light at 6 a.m. to launch the search.
As many as 24 people from Fish and Game, the Appalachian Mountain Club and Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue split up into teams to look for the missing hikers.
The Presidential Range comprises eight of the tallest mountains in the Northeast. The highest peak belongs to Mount Washington, at 6,288 feet.
It is possible to traverse the range in one day, Gralenski said, “but it’s a very aggressive itinerary.”
Temperatures in the White Mountains yesterday were as much as 40 to 50 degrees higher than usual for this time of year, Gralenski said. Still, he said, the Presidential range is “notoriously hazardous under the best of circumstances.”
One man exposed to subzero temperatures died Feb. 11 after he and another hiker were rescued on Mount Lafayette.
