A hiking trio is recovering after unintentionally spending the night in Cumberland Valley’s woods over the weekend, with two of the three suffering from severe hypothermia.
Mark Latti, communication director of Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told Backpacker that the region in which the hikers became lost is a day-use area with marked trails and paths, and it isn’t clear how the hikers became lost. But at some point, they ended up in a bog, hunkering down for the night.
When dawn crested over the trees, the third hiker – who was shoeless—walked to a nearby home and asked for help. According to Latti, officials never received an explanation about the lost shoes. However, the hiker did begin with shoes, and officials suspect they may have taken them off in a panic and lost them.
“That could certainly be a symptom of hypothermia,” Latti said. “Obviously you don’t reason very well once hypothermia starts to set in and sometimes it goes along with that panic when you realize you’re lost and you might not get help.”
Eventually, the third hiker was able to contact authorities, who dispatched a K9 unit to recover the remaining hikers. Upon their discovery, the wardens determined that the remaining two hikers were so hypothermic that they were unable to walk, prompting officials to carry them out.
The region in which the hikers remained stuck saw temperature lows of 34 degrees, although the majority of Augusta remained free from snow at the time of the incident.
“There was snow. It’s been a mild year,” Latti said. “And actually it had just rained the day before but there was no snow. At the same time, it meant that the bog wasn’t frozen. Potentially, it can be a bad thing. Once someone gets wet and they’re not wearing the proper clothing, hypothermia can set in that much quicker,” reflected Latti.
Receiving rescue calls for hypothermia is a relatively common occurrence for Cumberland County first responders. In a typical year, the region receives between 400 and 500 calls. Of those calls, 10 to 20 involve severe hypothermia like this incident.
All three hikers are expected to make a full recovery. Still, Latti warned that hikers who brave the winter season should be prepared.
“Nobody plans on getting lost, but people do, and having food, some type of shelter, or some kind of rain barrier can be extremely helpful,” he said. “Obviously water. The ability to start a fire. But also before heading out, telling someone where you plan to go and when you’ll be back. That way if something happens, searchers like the Maine Warden Service like us have a strong starting point and can find someone that much more quickly.”
From 2024
