"They need to be held accountable": Hikers plead guilty after rescue from New Hampshire cliffside
LITTLETON, N.H. – Two hikers pleaded guilty to reckless conduct charges after an elaborate rescue mission in New Hampshire over the summer.
A 22-year-old Lowell man and a 25-year-old from Windsor, N.H. both pleaded guilty recently to reckless conduct charges in exchange for a $200 fine and $48 penalty assessment.
The charges stemmed from a June rescue in Franconia Notch State Park. The men left the trail and climbed dangerous ledges without proper equipment or shoes, and became stuck.
Rescuers spent hours saving the men and eventually had to rappel down the cliffside.
"The safety of rescuers is paramount in the execution of search and rescue missions. When people put themselves into hazardous situations needlessly or by being ill prepared, and put rescuers in harm's way, they need to be held accountable," Lt. James Kneeland of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's Law Enforcement Division said.