Jeff Fuentes Gleghorn
A 22-year-old Lowell man and a 25-year-old from Windsor, N.H. both pled guilty to reckless conduct charges and will pay a $200 fine and $48 penalty assessment. The two men were hiking in Franconia Notch State Park in June when they left the trail and attempted to climb a cliff face without the necessary gear, getting themselves stuck.
Rock climbing is legal in the park and there are several well-known climbing routes, but in this case the lack of preparation resulted in an hours-long rescue operation that put rescuers in danger.
“The safety of rescuers is paramount in the execution of search and rescue missions. When people put themselves into hazardous situations needlessly or by being ill prepared, and put rescuers in harm’s way, they need to be held accountable,” Lt. James Kneeland of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Law Enforcement Division said.
The rescue team eventually rappelled down the cliffside to reach the men safely, and nobody was hurt.
