Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue

05/29/2026

Keep your eyes on the higher summits forecast if you plan on heading out this weekend. A wild weather system is moving in shortly and with it snow and winds.

Glaze and rime ice on the summit sign this morning. The higher elevations of the White Mountains will continue to see ice and snow this weekend. Full details available at https://mountwashington.org/weather/higher-summits-forecast/

05/24/2026

Check out the latest Mt Washington Valley Vibe for an article regarding mental health safety in the SAR community featuring our fellow teammate and board member Tim Doyle. Well done!

Thank you to the local Headwaters Mental Health for the shout out and continued support!

05/19/2026

This past Saturday AVSAR held our annual Spring training in North Conway which combined both team/teacher oriented clinics with litter assembly/procedures and patient care with splinting/stabilization mechanisms. For the second part of the day the team headed over to Cathedral Ledge where we worked with NH Fish & Game CO’s to practice grid searches, hone in on our CalTopo skills and then locate a team member posing as a patient. Once assessed, our “patient” was evaluated and a full mock rescue followed. This involved initial care, treatment and a litter carry (including navigating steep terrain with our belay/ropes team) back to the trailhead.

We’d like to express our gratitude to NH Fish & Game who joined us for the day and we’d like to share our deep appreciation to our Training Committee who put together the in-depth and well organized itinerary. It was a great turn out with both seasoned and newer members, thank you for your attendance and everything you all do with continued dedication to our team!

05/05/2026

Over the weekend AVSAR held our onboarding orientation and welcomed five new members to the team. During the meet and greet the topics consisted of AVSAR’s mission, our relationship with NH Fish & Game, basic steps of a call out, team support, an introduction to drones, a tour of our trailer/equipment and a break down of the litter. A big “thank you” to those who gave their time and energy that made this presentation possible and we’re grateful and excited to add these new strong members to our roster…welcome to the team!

04/27/2026

AVSAR callout on 04/24/26

The AVSAR team was contacted by the NH Fish & Game asking for help carrying out an injured hiker on Iron Mountain in Jackson, NH. For more information, the official report from the NHF&G …

04/11/2026

5k funday! Nicole and April from a local running group based in Gorham called “Run For You” organized and hosted an AVSAR fundraiser event today. It was a memorable time filled with community, smiles, laughs and camaraderie. Along with a great turnout, Run For You raised over $800 which was generously donated to AVSAR. Our immense appreciation and gratefulness for our community runs deep. A heartfelt “thank you” to Run For You and to all who joined in and supported the cause out there!

04/07/2026

A nice video recap by East Coast Avalanche Education on a recent course that a handful of our members participated in to further their outdoor safety and education. A big “thank you” to all involved!

03/17/2026

Save the date, lace up your runners and come join AVSAR and the local community for an all-welcomed walk/jog 5k event held on 04/11/26 in Gorham NH. “Run For You” (a local grassroots group) organized this event and in lieu of registration/entry fees, they will be accepting donations solely for AVSAR. All information on arrival time, location and contact details are listed in the flyer below. We’d like to thank our hosts for thinking of our team and putting together this generous fundraiser…we will see you all there!

03/16/2026

AVSAR callout on 03/15/26

Members of the AVSAR Winter Below and Winter Above Treeline Teams answered the call to rescue an injured hiker. Before we get into the details, we’d like to thank all who responded and suppor…

02/10/2026

AVSAR call out on 02/09/26

NH Fish and Game report:

“Sargent’s Purchase, NH – On Monday, February 9, 2026, at approximately 11:55 a.m., NH Fish and Game was notified of an injured Nordic skier on the Avalanche Brook Trail in Sargent’s Purchase. The skier was part of a group who had started at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC) and were intending to ski south to the Rocky Branch parking lot. About halfway between the two locations, a male skier in the party suffered an unknown leg injury that prevented him from continuing. The injury occurred over 2 miles from PNVC and 3.2 from the Rocky Branch Trailhead. A member of the group called 911 and a rescue response was initiated. While awaiting rescuers the group placed the injured skier into a sleeping bag with multiple layers and started a fire to keep him warm. They were very prepared for the ski trip they were attempting.

Conservation Officers and volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue (AVSAR) responded. Conservation Officers attempted to access the patient via the Rocky Branch Trailhead by using snowmobiles, while an initial AVSAR member snowshoed up from Route 16 in deep snow to access the location and provide initial medical care. The snowmobiles could not make it to the skier, so all other responding rescue personnel had to hike up off trail via steep terrain from Route 16 near the Pinkham’s Grant/Jackson town line. Once the rescuers arrived on scene, the patient, identified as Mark Rossi, 63, from Medford, MA, was placed in a litter and carried down through the off-trail access to the side of Route 16 arriving at 5:15 p.m. Rossi opted to forgo an ambulance and sought medical care on his own.”

A huge thank you to all our responders for their dedication and efficiency!