ALBANY, N.H. — A 74-year-old Massachusetts man was carried off South Moat Mountain Friday evening after suffering severe cramps while hiking, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Officials said Richard Crooks of Sandwich, Massachusetts, was hiking with a friend and began experiencing severe cramps in his arms and legs as they descended the South Moat Trail around 4 p.m. His hiking partner tried for nearly an hour to rehydrate him but eventually called 911 when the symptoms did not subside.

The pair was more than two miles from the trailhead, officials said.

A conservation officer, a hiker on the trail who volunteered to help, and members of Lakes Region Search and Rescue responded. Rescuers reached Crooks, placed him in a litter, and carried him down the trail, officials said.

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