Skier triggers avalanche on Mount Washington, suffers life-threatening injury

A New Hampshire man was rescued from Mount Washington Saturday after triggering an avalanche and suffering a life-threatening leg injury while skiing.

Dominic Torro, 30, was coming down "Airplane Gully" around 11:35 a.m. in a wilderness area with a friend when the incident happened, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in a press release. 

Torro's friend and another skier went to Torro and called 911. No one else was caught in the avalanche.

The distress call was first relayed to U.S. Forest Service Snow Rangers, but it was outside their jurisdiction. New Hampshire Fire and Game Conservation Officers diverted their efforts from a deer case investigation to the rescue call.

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Authorities worked on a rescue plan for a National Guard helicopter and the Mount Washington Auto Road Sno-Cat vehicle.

"Concern about specific and needed medical action rose to the level that a joint phone call was made to a highly experienced back country paramedic in order to give medical guidance to the two skiers giving the aid," Sgt. Glen Lucas said in the release. "The guidance was given and Torro was stabilized."

While waiting for the helicopter, the skiers shoveled out an area on the side slope so a paramedic and litter basket that would be lowered down from the helicopter would have enough space to load Torro and hoist him back up.

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Torro was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. A message seeking his condition was left with a spokesperson by the Associated Press Monday.

Mount Washington is 6,288 feet tall. The Mount Washington Avalanche Center said it is currently in a general advisory period, but not yet in a daily hazard rating.

The two skiers who assisted Torro decided to hike out and ski down on their own. They safely made it to their vehicles and off the mountain, officials said.

"This concerted effort was another display of fluid teamwork from multiple organizations," Lucas said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.