CONTACT:
Lieutenant Mark Ober
603-788-4850
603-271-3361
August 7, 2025

Thompson and Meserves Purchase, NH – On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at approximately 10:45 a.m., NH Fish and Game was notified of an injured hiker at the Castle Trail approximately 4.2 miles in from Route 2. The call came in via a trail runner who had come across the hiker who had suffered a serious leg injury.

Due to several factors, a call was made to the Army National Guard to inquire if they could assist in the injured hiker’s extraction. Generally, utilizing a helicopter is only done in a life-or-limb situation. The upper part of Castle Trail is a very difficult trail to hike, let alone carry someone out on a stretcher. So, due to the potential dangers to rescuers, the fact that over 24 rescuers responded to a rescue call the day before, likely 30 to 40 rescuers would be needed to help in this carryout, and the overall distance from the closest trailhead, the request seemed justified.

While waiting for the helicopter, a small group of rescuers, comprised of Conservation Officers and volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue (AVSAR), began the 4.2-mile hike up.

Luckily, the Army National Guard agreed to assist, and despite tricky cloud cover were able to safely extract the hiker, identified as David Smith, 59, from East Wallingford, VT, at 1:30 p.m. Smith was flown to the Gorham Airport where he was transferred to a Gorham Ambulance before being transported to Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin.