CONTACT:
Lieutenant Mark Ober
603-271-3361
June 29, 2024

Bean’s Grant – On Saturday, June 29 at approximately 4:40 p.m., the NH Fish and Game Department was notified about a Garmin inReach SOS beacon activation on the Jackson Branch of the Webster-Jackson Trail approximately 2.2 miles from Route 302. There was no indication of what the emergency was, and contact was not able to be made to the registered owner of the Garmin to verify what type of emergency existed. With no information to go on, Fish and Game Conservation Officers started a minimal response.

Prior to the rescuers arriving on the trailhead, the hiker who activated the device arrived out at 6:00 p.m. He was met by a Conservation Officer and explained that he had activated his device for his hiking companion, who was still nearly 2 miles up the trail and was too weak and exhausted to continue.

The Conservation Officers hiked up the trail in torrential rain and located the hiker, identified as James Fosnock, 70, of Wakefield, MA, approximately 1.8 miles up the trail. The rescuers provided Fosnock with food, Gatorade, and a head lamp and assisted him down the trail at an extremely slow pace, taking 6.5 hours to go the 1.8 miles. The crew made it to the trailhead at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 30.

Fosnock had rain gear, food, water, and some extra clothing. He had not hiked in several years and was not physically prepared for the rigors of a hike of this magnitude, which led to his exhaustion. He did have a Hike Safe card.

New Hampshire Fish and Game would like to remind hikers that preparing themselves before venturing out into the wilderness includes being physically prepared for the rigorous nature of a hike, to know their limitations, and to turn around before problems arise. For additional information, please visit www.hikesafe.com.