CT Man Injured Hiking On Mt. Washington; Still Makes It To Summit: Officials

A Connecticut man fell and injured his back and shoulder while hiking up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire Tuesday, but he still made it to the top hours later.

Sgt. Matthew Holmes, a conservation officer with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, identified the man as 61-year-old Kurt Siuzdak.

Conservation officers responded to the mountain to assist the injured hiker, who had fallen and hurt himself around 10 a.m.

Around 3:15 p.m., an unrelated hiker called 911 to report an injured man was making his way up the Crawford Path between the Lakes of the Clouds and the summit, according to Holmes.

The unrelated hiker put the man on the phone, and the injured hiker said he had fallen and dislocated a shoulder and injured his back, Holmes said.

The victim said he intended to try to get to the summit and then figure out his options. Officers advised him to stick to that plan and told him they would respond to make sure he made it out safely, according to Holmes.

Around 5 p.m., two officers arrived at the summit and hiked a third of a mile down Crawford Path to meet the injured hiker.

Siuzdak continued to hike slowly and was flanked by the officers to make sure he didn’t fall. Siuzdak arrived at the summit under his own power at 5:30 p.m., officials said. Mt. Washington, at 6,288 feet, is the tallest mountain in the Northeast.

An officer then drove Siuzdak to the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road, where he was assessed by Gorham emergency medical personnel.

Siuzdak had been able to relocate his shoulder, and he told responders he wanted to get back to his vehicle and drive himself to an Urgent Care facility. After being checked by medical personnel, the hiker was given a ride back to his vehicle, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

According to conservation officers, Siuzdak had started up the Ammonoousuc Ravine Trail at 4 a.m. Around 10 a.m., he slipped and fell while on a portion of a trail with wet granite slabs. The hiker had packed extra gear, including warm clothing and a first aid kit, as recommended on the New Hampshire Fish and Game’s website.

“These items turned out to be much needed after his accident, and he was thankful that he had heeded the recommendations,” officials said, in an announcement Wednesday.