A rock climber was badly injured and hospitalized within a few hours of falling 60 feet in a remote area of Mount Washington in what officials say is an example of cooperation making the back country safer.

“Had hikers not seen this incident happen and shouted to nearby climbers, it could have been hours, if not days, before the victim was located. Once the call came in, rescuers from both the volunteer and professional teams worked cohesively to do their jobs, thus getting the severely injured young man to definitive care in just over two hours,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game in a press statement.

Officials got a report shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, when hikers saw a man free fall approximately 60 feet in the area of Pinnacle Buttress, according to the state agency. The hikers alerted rock climbers, who made their way over to the fallen man and called 911. They provided first aid and confirmed that the fallen man was suffering from multiple injuries, some of which could be life threatening.

Due to the extent of the injuries and the difficult terrain, NH Fish and Game coordinated a rescue response with multiple agencies. Staff from the Mt. Washington State Park responded to the area to assess current weather conditions, a team of rock climbers from Mountain Rescue Service mobilized to come in from the ground and a Blackhawk helicopter and crew from the NH Army National Guard responded.

Weather on Mt. Washington was favorable and the Guard was able to lift the fallen climber from Huntington Ravine shortly after 3 p.m., flying him to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon for further evaluation and treatment. His current condition is not known, but he arrived alive.

All parties were safely back down the mountain by 6:30 p.m.

The fallen climber was identified as Lukas Lamb Wotton, 31, of New Orleans, LA. Wotton had climbed in the area before and was familiar with the climbing route, officials said.