Injured Hiker Rescued from Huntington Ravine Trail by National Guard Helicopter

CONTACT:
Lieutenant Mark Ober
(603) 271-3361
June 27, 2026

Sargent’s Purchase, NH – On Saturday, June 26, 2026, at approximately 12:30 p.m., NH Fish and Game was notified by NH State Police Dispatch about an injured hiker on the Huntington Ravine Trail. The call came in via 911 and showed the hiker to be 0.20 miles down from the Alpine Garden Trail junction. The incident occurred on the steep slab on the upper reaches of the ravine.

The caller reported that a male hiker fell approximately 50 feet resulting in serious injuries. Due to the nature of the terrain and injuries sustained, a call was made to the National Guard for helicopter support. Calls went out to Mountain Rescue Services (MRS) due to the technical nature of the terrain and to Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue (AVSAR).

Ground teams utilized the Mt. Washington Auto Road to drive up to a point where they could hike down into the ravine from above.

The National Guard was able to quickly assemble a crew and flew up from Concord arriving at 2:55 p.m. They were able to hoist down their paramedic who provided initial treatment of the hiker and got him into a litter. At 3:35 p.m., the patient was hoisted into the helicopter and flown to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. The hiker, identified as Thomas Charland, 24, from Sainte-Foy, Quebec City, QC, suffered serious injuries, but they were not considered life threatening. He had been hiking with three other companions and is very lucky to have survived the fall he took.

There have been multiple rescue calls on the Huntington Ravine Trail so far this spring and early summer. Huntington Ravine Trail is not a trail for every day hikers or people who are not prepared with ropes and climbing gear and proper footwear. The upper section is a dangerous cliff climb and should not be listed as a “hiking” trail. Fish and Game and search and rescue volunteers have responded to dozens and dozens of stranded or injured hikers over the years. There are warning signs at both ends letting hikers know.