Two sets of hikers, including a man from Phippsburg, were rescued by state game wardens late Saturday night after they became stranded on a mountain peak and on the Appalachian Trail.
Christopher J. Lebel, 38, of Phippsburg was hiking south with his dog on the Appalachian Trail in Township E on Saturday when approximately 4 miles into his trip, he fell into the water, according to a news release from Mark Latti, spokesman for the Maine Warden Service.
Lebel changed his clothes but was unable to get warm and became severely hypothermic with temperatures dropping below freezing. Latti said winds were blowing and there was ice and snow on the ground. Lebel was able to text a friend for help. The friend contacted 911 around 9:42 p.m. Game wardens used an ATV to get close to Lebel before hiking into the woods to reach him. Lebel was unable to walk. The wardens started a fire while providing hot liquids and food for Lebel, who was able to walk out of the woods at 4:30 a.m. Sunday.
“Lebel did not have appropriate clothing or hiking gear for this time of year,” said Maine Game Warden Sgt. Scott Thrasher. “Had Lebel been unable to send a text for help, it is unlikely he would have survived the night in the woods.”
A second rescue took place on Tumbledown Mountain in Weld after a New Jersey family of five became lost on the summit. The family, who hiked the mountain Saturday, told wardens that they could not find the trailhead to descend the mountain because of snow and ice on the summit.
Don and Meena Latona of Freehold, New Jersey, were hiking with their three adult children, but became lost as the sun was beginning to set. They called 911 around 6:46 p.m.
Latti said it was windy with temperatures dropping into the low 30s. Wardens hiked the mountain and found the family huddled together for warmth. After starting a fire and warming the family up, rescuers hiked back down the mountain with the family, reaching the base at approximately midnight.
“This family was not prepared for the conditions they experienced on this hike. There still is ice and snow, and subfreezing temperatures on the trails of many Maine mountains,” said Thrasher. “These conditions can be extremely dangerous for those who are unprepared.”
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