STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
CASE: 26A3000977
RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Lt. Thomas Howard
STATION: Berlin Barracks
CONTACT#: 802-229-9191
DATE/TIME: About 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026
INCIDENT LOCATION: Camels Hump Trailhead, Duxbury, VT
INCIDENT TYPE: Rescue of stranded hikers
SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:
The Department of Public Safety’s search and rescue coordinator and the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team helped lead an operation to save a pair of hikers in a life-threatening situation high on Camels Hump over the weekend.
The rescue operation began at about 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, when one of the hikers called 911 to report that he and his companion were on the Long Trail near the summit of the 4,083-foot peak, extremely cold and needed assistance. Conditions at the time included subzero temperatures, wind chills approaching minus 20 degrees F, and deep snow.
Emergency crews directed the hikers — a 21-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman, both of Ontario, Canada — to the Alpine Trail and to begin descending below the tree line. Meanwhile, VSP’s Search and Rescue Team, Camels Hump Backcountry Rescue, Huntington Backcountry Rescue and Waterbury Backcountry Rescue began mobilizing to the Monroe Trail in Duxbury. An initial team of rescuers started climbing the peak, with an additional crew equipped with a litter ascending behind them.
Rescuers reached the hikers at about 11:20 p.m. and found them to be suffering from hypothermia. Crews provided immediate treatment to the pair. The 21-year-old was able to walk down the trail with assistance after being warmed; the 19-year-old was loaded onto the litter while continuing to receive treatment and was carefully brought down the mountain. They reached the trailhead at about 4 a.m. and were met by Waterbury Ambulance, which transported the 19-year-old to the hospital for further treatment. Both individuals are expected to make a full recovery.
Lt. Thomas Howard, commander of VSP’s SAR Team, and Drew Clymer, DPS’s SAR coordinator, agreed that the combined efforts of multiple rescue crews in incredibly challenging conditions saved the lives of the two hikers.
Anyone venturing into the Green Mountains for recreation this time of year should be fully prepared to encounter significant winter conditions, know the terrain, carry sufficient gear and supplies for the weather, ensure their abilities are up to the task, and be willing to turn back at any time, Clymer and Howard said.
They added that Vermont, unlike some other jurisdictions, does not hold people who call for backcountry assistance financially liable for their rescues. They encouraged people not to delay calling the authorities for fear of being billed, because doing so only increases the danger for everyone involved.
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