Lincoln, NH – At 12:30 p.m. on Thursday November 19, 2020, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of a hiker having a medical emergency on the Eastside Trail in Lincoln. Two hikers had gotten lost on Wednesday November 18, 2020 and after spending a long, cold, and wet night in the Pemi Wilderness they located a hiking trail shortly after day break. One hiker suffered a medical emergency and was unable to continue. His hiking partner left him and eventually hiked out to the Pemi Ranger Station at Lincoln Woods. It was determined the injured hiker was approximately 3.5 miles from the trailhead.
Rescue personnel from Lincoln Fire and Rescue, LinWood Ambulance, Pemi Valley Search and Rescue, White Mountain National Forest personnel, and Conservation Officers responded to assist in the rescue. Rescuers were able to utilize an ATV to access the area and locate the hiker on the Eastside Trail just before 1:00 p.m. The hiker, who was identified as Omar Lewis from Fort Lauderdale, FL, was suffering from a life-threatening emergency and required immediate medical attention.
Rescuers utilized the ATV to transport Lewis out of the woods to a waiting DHART medical helicopter. He was then airlifted to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center for further treatment. The hikers did not have any maps, lights, food, warm clothing, or a plan on what they intended to hike. The temperatures dropped into the low teens and it had snowed during the night. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department reminds hikers to carry the Ten Essentials for a Day Hike and to be prepared for the unexpected https://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/outdoor-recreation/hiking-safety.html.
