2 Teens Found ‘Wet and Freezing’ After Falling into Water on Hike. Why Officials Are Recommending They Get Billed for the Rescue

Two teenagers were rescued after they fell into an icy brook during an evening hike — and officials say the pair should be billed for the effort.

Officers with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (NHFG) were alerted by the New Hampshire State Police (NHSP) to three hikers in distress on a Mount Monadnock trail on Friday, Dec. 19, around 10 p.m. local time, according to a department media release.

After reaching the group by cellphone, responders learned that one hiker was trying to help two others who “had fallen into a brook and were wet and freezing.”

“High winds, dropping temperatures, and their soaking wet clothes created a life-threatening situation for cold-weather injuries,” officials said.

The two hikers who went into the water — identified as Shawn Paelian and Brendan Girouard, both 18, of Winchendon, Mass. — began hiking after dark at about 5:30 p.m., officials said. Authorities reported the pair did not have “food, water, warm clothes, change of clothes, or any cold weather gear.”

A rescuer reached the teens around 11 p.m. Paelian was able to walk back down the mountain to a vehicle to warm up, but officials said Girouard “was unable to move and suffering from cold-weather injuries.” Girouard was also allegedly “heavily intoxicated,” according to officials.

Rescue workers were able to assist Girouard and bring him to a waiting ambulance, which transported him to a local hospital.

New Hampshire Fish and Game said Girouard has since been charged with possession of alcohol by a minor in connection with the incident. The agency also recommended that both teens be billed for the rescue.

In a statement, officials urged hikers to follow the “hiker responsibility code” outlined by the hikeSafe program, which emphasizes planning ahead and making choices that reduce the risk of injury.