Coventry man speaks out about harrowing Mt. Washington rescue

June 5, 2018 11:32 pm

By John Krinjak

Email: jkrinjak@abc6.com

Twitter: @johnkrinjakABC6

COVENTRY, R.I. (WLNE) — It was supposed to be a nice Sunday climb up Mt. Washington, but Christopher Petteruto of Coventry was feeling ambitious.

"We usually go up the easy path, but I decided to challenge myself and go the harder path because you know why not," said Petteruto.

He and his friend Daniel Rueda ended up scaling the side of the mountain until they found themselves stranded.

The pair had enough cell service to call 911.

"I was pretty panicked, but my friend helped calm me down," said Petteruto.

As they waited for rescue crews to find them, the temperature dropped to right around freezing.

"My friend Dan touched my legs and they were cold and asked if you could feel this and I couldn’t," said Petteruto.

The wind made it tough for rescuers to pinpoint their location.

"We were calling out to them, they were responding//the wind kept sweeping our voices, thinking we were in a different spot," said Petteruto.

After about six hours, crews finally found them.

"They’re my heroes," said Petteruto.

Now Petteruto hopes his experience will be a cautionary tale to other hikers.

"Know your limits, do not try to push yourself. Take a moment to really think about it, and just be prepared," said Petteruto.

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