A Maine Army National Guard helicopter crew rescued two rock climbers who became stranded during a severe thunderstorm on a highly technical route on Mount Katahdin this week.

The pair, both 35 and from Virginia, departed Chimney Pond Campground at 5 a.m. Wednesday for a permitted technical climb on the Flat Iron, one of the most demanding routes in the park, Baxter State Park officials said in a news release.

By 2 p.m., forecasted thunderstorms brought intense rain, hail, high winds and lightning. Stranded on difficult terrain and exposed to the elements, the climbers became hypothermic and dehydrated, park officials said. They called 911 at 3:44 p.m.

Park rangers communicated with the climbers via text as they took shelter. A Maine Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter left Bangor with a crew of five at 9 p.m., but heavy cloud cover prevented the initial rescue, according to the release.

A technical rescue team also mobilized on the ground with 13 members of the Maine Association of Search and Rescue, including the Wilderness Rescue Team, Coastal Mountain SAR, Mahoosuc Mountain Rescue and Acadia Mountain Guides, the news release said. They reached the Chimney Pond Campground overnight and planned to ascend the mountain at first light.

At 6:45 a.m. Thursday, a second Maine Army National Guard crew located the climbers and performed a hoist rescue. The helicopter flew to the Millinocket Airport, where an ambulance took the climbers to Millinocket Regional Hospital for evaluation, the release said.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Benjamin Hodgdon said in an interview Friday that he was the pilot at the controls for the mission, which included a second pilot, a hoist operator and a medic. He was not in the helicopter that met a heavy cloud layer on the mountain Wednesday. The weather had cleared on Thursday morning, he said, so his crew took off from Bangor for Baxter State Park at sunrise.

“The winds were really calm,” Hodgdon said. “Winds next to the cliff face like that would make it really challenging, but the environment was really pretty conducive to doing that kind of work. We could get in there pretty quickly and get out and get those guys down to where they could get warm.”

Hodgdon said the crew found the climbers midway up their route based on coordinates provided by the park rangers. The hoist operator lowered the medic to the climbers, who were dehydrated and cold but still able to get into the basket to be lifted into the helicopter. The rescue took about 15 minutes from the time the crew located the climbers, he said.

“Staying overnight up there was, I’m sure, a challenge, and I’m really glad they were able to get down in the morning,” Hodgdon said.

He said the Maine Army National Guard often trains in the park, so pilots and other crew members are familiar with the terrain in the event of a rescue.

“The Flat Iron is one of Baxter State Park’s most demanding routes, reserved for highly
experienced climbers with advanced technical skills,” the news release said. “Park officials remind visitors that even prepared climbers can be overwhelmed by the rapid and violent weather changes typical of the Maine wilderness.”

Baxter State Park has guidelines that require technical rock climbers to register and inform a Chimney Pond ranger of their plans.

“Technical rescue may be hours away,” the guidelines say.

The rescue comes a little more than one year after two hikers, a father and daughter from New York, died on another part of the mountain.

Park officials reminded visitors to always check the current conditions of the park on its website and to talk to campground rangers about the weather classification rating for hiking above the tree line for that day. All visitors should be prepared to shelter in place for at least 24 hours with food and water, they said. Friday’s summit forecast included rain, isolated thunderstorms and possible lightning.