Falling ice slams into climber’s head, NH officials say. Then onlookers stepped in
.jpg "A New Hampshire man was rescued by fellow ice climbers after a piece of ice hit him in the head during a trek at Hart’s Location, state officials said.")
A climber needed rescue after a piece of ice came loose and fell on top of him during his ascent, New Hampshire officials said.
James Lawrence, a 37-year-old “experienced” ice climber from Dover, was climbing Willey’s Slide — a climbing route in Hart’s Location — in the afternoon on Dec. 30, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in a news release.
The route gets its name from the infamous Willey’s Slide of 1826, an avalanche that took the lives of French War veteran Colonel Samuel Willey and his entire family at Hart’s Location.
Nearly 200 years later, this stretch of New Hampshire nature can still be dangerous.
While making his way up the slide with his partner, falling ice smashed into Lawrence’s head, officials said. Although he was wearing a helmet, the blow left him injured and in need of rescue.
Luckily, a nearby group of climbers stepped in to help Lawrence and his partner, the release said.
They lowered the climber to the ground and walked him back down the trail to a road, officials said. He was picked up by an ambulance and taken to a hospital for treatment.
While the actions of fellow climbers may have saved his life, officials also credited Lawrence.
“Lawrence is an experienced ice climber and had the proper climbing gear for the conditions,” officials said. “The recent warm weather has made ice unpredictable and officials urge climbers to use extra caution while venturing out.”
Hart’s Location is about 96 miles north of Concord.
This story was originally published January 1, 2023 at 3:19 PM with the headline "Falling ice slams into climber’s head, NH officials say. Then onlookers stepped in."