Two Massachusetts teens with Scouting America are sharing how they helped rescue a woman who couldn’t make it down a New Hampshire mountain on her own.
Jack Borowski and Brodie Perry, both seniors at Mashpee High School, were hiking down Mount Lafayette when they spotted a young woman and her family in trouble, according to The Mashpee Enterprise and Fox affiliate WFXT.
The woman was having difficulty walking. Perry said her legs appeared to be spasming, and Borowski recalled that her legs were “giving out underneath her.”
Seeing how serious the situation was, the two offered to help. At first, the woman hesitated, the Enterprise reported. But after Borowski and Perry realized her family couldn’t safely get her down on their own, they checked in again. This time, she agreed.
The group moved quickly to get her to safety. Borowski and Perry supported her under the shoulders and helped carry her down the trail.
“It was about two miles for about two hours, and it was getting dark out,” Borowski said. “But the entire troop stuck together with this family, and we helped bring her down to the bottom.”
Their acting Scout Master, Pat Flynn, said he wasn’t surprised by what the teens did, noting that they responded exactly as they’d been trained, according to the Enterprise.
Both hikers are among the highest-ranking Scouts. Borowski is an Eagle Scout, the top rank in Scouting, and Perry is on track to earn the same honor in January, WFXT reported.
Reflecting on the experience, Borowski said they saw the moment as a natural extension of what Scouts are taught to do. “It was fitting that a Boy Scout troop found this family in need and was able to help them,” he said, according to the Enterprise.
Perry added that he was struck to learn several people had passed by the family without stopping.
“Take the time to stop, because just one person can make a really big difference,” Borowski said. “Do not ever underestimate your ability to help other people.”
Mount Lafayette is one of 48 peaks in New Hampshire that exceed 4,000 feet, according to 4000footers.com and Peakbagger.com. It’s the sixth-tallest mountain in the state and the highest peak in the Franconia Range.
