Woman airlifted after falling while hiking Mount Monadnock

In a dramatic rescue, a Barre woman was airlifted off New Hampshire’s Mount Monadnock after she fell and suffered a severe head injury while descending from the summit Tuesday, officials said.

Cynthia Bissell, 65, was hiking down the White Dot Trail when she fell, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in a statement. At 1:52 p.m., conservation officers and others in the area responded to a call for help from her hiking partner.

The severity of her injuries led the mountain patrol ranger, an EMT, to request a medical helicopter. With the help of passing hikers, Bissell was carried to a nearby landing zone.

Around 2:50 p.m., a Dartmouth Hitchcock Advanced Response Team helicopter had to abort its attempt to land when inclement weather moved in. Officials then contacted the New Hampshire Army National Guard to see if they could use a helicopter hoist to rescue Bissell.

By 4:45 p.m., weather conditions at the summit had improved and the National Guard helicopter was able to pick up Bissell, who was taken to Concord Hospital.

“This helicopter extraction resulted in Bissell reaching hospital care several hours sooner than if she had to be carried down the mountain by rescuers,” the statement said.

Officials also thanked the good samaritans who assisted in the rescue.