Teen Hikers Rescued After Losing Way With App

Three teens were hiking on Rattlesnake Mountain in Rumney, N.H., Sunday when their app took them to the wrong parking lot and trails, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game officials.

The three 18-year-olds, Haley Whitehouse of Somersworth, N.H.; Baily Ryan of Middlebury, Vt.; and Allison White of Weybridge, Vt.; called 911 for help as darkness fell. Rescuers embarked off-trail, located them, and helped them down the mountain, returning to the trailhead at 8:30 p.m.

“The app sent them to the wrong parking lot and trails, and instead of taking the main trail, the hikers bushwhacked through the woods attempting to reach the summit,” the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in a statement Monday.

Fish and Game officials warn hikers to bring appropriate gear for emergencies, especially because temperatures are dropping and the sun is setting earlier. They also stressed the importance of a good trail map.

As for the app that sent the teens on a nonexistent trail, some news outlets specify it was a “Google app,” and a spokeswoman for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department told WBZ-TV the hikers were using Google Maps.