On a bluebird day in April of 2019, Snow Ranger Frank Carus set out to investigate a reported avalanche in the backcountry of Mount Washington. He found a lone skier named Nick Benedix buried several feet under the snow. He was severely hypothermic, but alive.
What happened next was an attempted rescue that people in Northern New England are still learning from.
Wilderness EMTs can work for decades in the field and never encounter this particular situation. So what happens when a rescue goes wrong? And how do first responders cope when an opportunity to save someone’s life slips through their fingers?
Featuring: Denise Butler, Frank Carus, Jeff Fongemie, Nicholas Weinberg
FURTHER READING
Read the Mount Washington Avalanche Center’sfinal report on Nick Benedix’s death.
Learn more about avalanche safety here.
Read the Wilderness Medical Society Journal article about this incident here.
