Hiker found safe after overnight search on Mt. Washington

The 23-year-old traveler from Brazil was located Friday afternoon on Mt. Washington after spending more than a day missing.

A 23-year-old traveler from Brazil was located alive Friday afternoon on Mt. Washington after spending more than a day missing in the backcountry.

New Hampshire Fish and Game said the hiker was reported overdue at 7 p.m. Thursday after he became separated from his group while climbing the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail. His party last had contact with him at 2:45 that afternoon, and by 9 p.m. he still had not come out of the woods.

That prompted a search effort that continued through the night, with Conservation Officers and volunteers from the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team covering trails in the dark. Once daylight returned Friday, additional crews expanded the operation into the surrounding woods, streams and off-trail sections of the Ravine.

Searchers also had to deal with unusually hot weather for the mountain, which Fish and Game said was likely among the warmest conditions seen on Mt. Washington this year.

The search ended at 3:27 p.m., when officers were told the missing hiker had reached the AMC Lakes of the Clouds Hut after 16.5 hours of searching. He was tired, hungry and thirsty, but otherwise unhurt.

After a period of rest, he continued downhill with help and reached the trailhead safely at 8:35 p.m. He did not need a hospital trip and instead accepted a courtesy ride to a nearby hotel.