A skier has died after falling 600 ft during New Hampshire ice storm

Two other hikers sustained traumatic injuries from falling rocks and ice

A backcountry skier died during an icy storm on Mount Washington in New Hampshire, according to police.

The skier, Madison Saltsburg, fell 600 feet (183m) on Saturday while she was traversing steep terrain in icy conditions, according to the Associated Press.

Two other people on the mountain sustained traumatic injuries from falling ice and rocks, according to the US Forest Service.

The group was in Tuckerman Ravine, a popular backcountry skiing spot, when the inclement weather made conditions dangerous.

A spokesperson with the US Forest Service, Colleen Mainville, said rescuers spent the night on the mountain trying to help the injured.

"They're exhausted," she said in a statement, and added that conditions in the ravine were dangerously icy.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning on Saturday predicting up to a foot of heavy, wet snow and fast-moving winds.

Tuckerman Rescue NH (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mt Washington is the northeast's tallest mountain and is frequently subject to dangerous weather conditions.

The night before the deadly incident, another hiker, a 23-year-old from Kentucky, was rescued after he slid into the Ammonoosuc Ravine.

Rescuers said he “fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers, and eventually became hypothermic,” according to a statement.

Last month another hiker, Cole Matthes, nearly died after he became lost on the mountain and slid hundreds of feet into a ravine.

An 11 hour rescue operation eventually recovered Mr Matthes. Rescuers said he made "numerous poor decisions" in preparing and carrying out his hike despite inclement weather on the mountain.

The rescuers — and Mr Matthes — said he would have died within hours if rescuers had not reached him when they did.

“I am extremely grateful to all 11 of the men who saved my life Saturday and am also extremely sorry that they had to risk their lives to save me,” Mr Matthes told The Associated Press. “I certainly made poor decisions and was underprepared for this hike.”