Lost Hiker Rescued in Pemigewasset Wilderness

CONTACT:
CO Jonathan Demler
603-744-5470
603-271-3361
June 27, 2025

Lincoln, NH – At 4:44 p.m. on June 25, 2025, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of an emergency SOS activation via satellite device. The location received placed the user in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of the White Mountain National Forest on the Wilderness Trail, nearly to the Stillwater Junction, 7.7 miles from the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center. The activation provided a location but little additional information. A Fish and Game Conservation Officer who was responding to a carryout rescue mission on the Liberty Springs Trail was redirected to Lincoln Woods to investigate.

A Conservation Officer and Good Samaritan hiker met with Deborah VanPatten, 69, of Portsmouth, NH, at 7:53 p.m. She was uninjured, located on the Wilderness Trail nearly 8 miles from the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center. VanPatten had activated the emergency setting on her GPS unit because she had felt lost, not intending to travel as far as she did into a remote location and not wanting to make the situation worse by traveling into isolated, unfamiliar areas. Communication was difficult as there is no phone service that far from the Town of Lincoln and line-of-sight ground-based radios were unreliable due to the rugged terrain.

VanPatten was able to hike with guidance from her rescuers back to an ATV and then was transported by ATV on the old East Side Road to the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center, arriving safely there at 11:40 p.m. She had gear and a background hiking but was unfamiliar with the area and ultimately required rescue.

Conservation Officers would like to remind outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy their activities safely this summer. Take advantage of the wonderful outdoor opportunities that New Hampshire has to offer by first preparing for the activity and possible complications. Always have a back-up plan. To learn more visit www.hikesafe.com.