A lost Massachusetts hiker was rescued Thursday afternoon after spending a bitterly cold night in the White Mountains.
New Hampshire Fish and Game officials say 21-year-old David Fielding of Wilmington was hiking Franconia Notch in Lincoln early Wednesday morning, when he intentionally went off the trail and lost his way.
Fish and Game Conservation Officers and 10 volunteers from the Mountain Rescue Service searched throughout Thursday morning, with the help of an Army National Guard helicopter.
A group of hikers came upon Fielding shortly after noon, roughly 200 feet from the summit of Mount Haystack.
He was airlifted off the mountain and transported to Littleton Hospital, where officials say he was mildly hypothermic, but suffered no major injuries.
Sgt. Brian Suttmeier of New Hampshire Fish and Game says Fielding likely survived the night because he was carrying cold weather gear, including a sleeping bag.
