Story perspectives

Two Hikers Rescued from Mount Lafayette After Severe Hypothermia

12/16/2025

Summary

Story summary

Two Massachusetts men, Shane Squires, 35, and Robert Conlon, 41, were rescued from Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire after getting lost in severe winter conditions.
They began their nearly nine-mile hike on December 12, 2025, without proper clothing or navigational gear.
They called for help at 9:45 p.m. due to a leg injury and severe hypothermia, and responders reached them by 2:45 a.m.
By 5:30 a.m., they drove to a hospital for frostbite treatment.

History

Historical Context

In January 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., killing four motorists and drowning passenger Arland D. Williams Jr., who heroically assisted others during the rescue. This tragedy, exacerbated by severe winter conditions, highlighted the critical need for safety awareness in winter hiking and aviation, echoing past incidents like the 1939 Mount Washington storm that claimed 11 hikers.

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Story summary

Two Massachusetts men, Shane Squires, 35, and Robert Conlon, 41, were rescued from Mount Lafayette in New Hampshire after getting lost in severe winter conditions.
They began their nearly nine-mile hike on December 12, 2025, without proper clothing or navigational gear.
They called for help at 9:45 p.m. due to a leg injury and severe hypothermia, and responders reached them by 2:45 a.m.
By 5:30 a.m., they drove to a hospital for frostbite treatment.

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