Amidst the intense heat affecting the East Coast, a 55-year-old hiker from Texas faced a rescue operation under severe winter-like conditions on Friday evening in the high peaks of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

Caroline Wilson, from Austin, Texas, was discovered on the Gulfside Trail, roughly one mile north of the Cog Railway tracks, showing signs of hypothermia and unresponsiveness. She was hiking Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England, according to a statement from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

The department reported that Wilson became unable to continue the hike, leading her husband to contact emergency services at 5 p.m. He informed authorities that she was no longer capable of moving or communicating.

Rescuers had to negotiate high winds and low cloud cover to reach Caroline Wilson, the department said. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)

Several hikers in the region were reported suffering from hypothermia throughout the day, the department noted. 

The Cog Railway played a crucial role in the rescue operation, transporting rescue teams up the mountain and sparing them a grueling three-mile ascent via the Jewell Trail, the department said.

The first rescue team reached the ridgeline at 7 p.m., with a second team arriving an hour later. Rescuers battled high winds and cold as they built a temporary shelter to stabilize Wilson before carrying her back to the waiting train.

Upon arrival at the base station, Wilson was handed over to a Twin Mountain ambulance crew and transported to Littleton Regional Healthcare for further treatment, the department said.

Once the second team arrived, Caroline Wilson was placed in the litter and carried back across Gulfside Trail to the awaiting Cog Railway. (New Hampshire Fish and Game Department)

Officials credited the successful outcome to the tireless efforts of rescue volunteers and the Cog Railway’s continued support in emergency efforts. 

“The weather was not great and the conditions were potentially life-threatening,” a department said, “but each group responded to the call for assistance and endured less-than-hospitable weather conditions to save the life of this hiker.”