Two separate pairs of hikers needed help from rangers and the National Guard after becoming stuck overnight on Katahdin’s narrow, exposed Knife Edge late last week, Baxter State Park officials said.
On July 24, the four hikers called for help after night caught them high on the Knife Edge, the ridge that leads to the summit of Katahdin from the mountain’s eastern side. According to Maine’s 13 WGME news, one of the hikers, Beata Kosc, 47, had suffered a knee injury; her partner, 32-year-old Courtney Doyon, was not injured, nor were the other two stricken hikers, a man and an under-18 hiker who officials have not named. Via text, park rangers instructed the four to remain in place until daylight.
After daybreak, Baxter rangers climbed to the four hikers to provide them with extra layers, food, and water. After assessing them, some rangers descended with the three uninjured hikers toward Roaring Brook Campground, while others pitched a tent for Kosc on the Knife Edge to protect her from the elements and treated her in place.
Extracting Kosc from the mountain proved to be complicated. Low visibility, wind, and rain prevented a helicopter from the state Forest Service from reaching the area. At 5:45 on Friday, a Blackhawk from the Maine Army National Guard managed to retrieve Kosc, who it transported to a nearby airport and finally to the hospital.
Dozens of people have died on Katahdin since Baxter State Park’s founding in 1933, with the Knife Edge accounting for the lion’s share of those fatalities. Besides being the last obstacle that northbound Appalachian Trail thru-hikers face on their journey, the peak is a popular objective for dayhikers during its season, which generally runs from mid-May through mid-October. Most recently, father and daughter Tim and Esther Keiderling passed away while climbing the mountain in early June.
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