FRANCONIA, N.H. — A hiker who had been missing since Saturday was found alive Monday on Mt. Lafayette.
Brian Gagnon, 24, of Merrimack, became separated from his two friends Saturday during bad weather. Fish and Game rescue workers found him Monday afternoon. They reported he was conscious but cold from hurricane-force winds and temperatures that dipped below zero.
Gagnon, a graduate student at Plymouth State University, was trained in cold-weather camping. He had called his friends twice from his cell phone.
"Knowing his background in winter camping, knowing that their original plan was to go out and camp that night, leads us to believe he had certain types of equipment with him to include a sleeping bag allowing him to get through the situation he's in," Lt. Todd Bogardus told WMUR-TV.
Rescuers searched through the weekend, using a pair of helicopters Monday.
