Mountain hiker Xi Chen dies after being rescued in snow, 130 km/h wind gusts

LANCASTER, NH — A hiker suffering from severe hypothermia on a trail in New Hampshire near Mt. Washington died in a hospital hours after rescuers faced torrential rain, driving snow and wind gusts exceeding 80 miles per hour , conservation officials said.

The hiker was rescued from the Gulfside Trail on Saturday night. Xi Chen, 53, of Andover, Massachusetts, was struck by severe storms.

Fish and game department officials said they heard from his wife, who said she received a text message from Chen saying he was cold and wet and could not continue. “He went on to write that he felt he was going to die without rescue,” the department said in a release.

Conservation officials received multiple rescue calls that day from hikers located on the high peaks and ridgelines of the Presidential Range.

“Conditions in the high peaks were treacherous,” the press release said.

Rescuers carried Chen over a mile to the top of Mt. Washington, where he was placed on a truck and driven down the mountain’s highway to a hospital in Berlin. He could not be revived after several hours of life-saving efforts, the press release said.