BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 5, 2021
Christopher J. Lebel, 38, was hiking with his dog south on the Appalachian Trail in Township E on Saturday, when 4 miles into his trek he fell into water. Lebel changed into dry clothes, but he couldn’t warm himself and became “severely hypothermic” with temperatures hovering below freezing, icy winds blowing and ice and snow still covering the ground. When rescuers found him, Lebel was unable to walk. After warming next to a fire and getting food and hot liquids, Lebel could walk out of the woods to a waiting ATV about 4:30 a.m. Sunday. “Lebel did not have appropriate clothing or hiking gear for this time of year,” a Maine Game Warden said. “Had Lebel been unable to send a text for help, it is unlikely he would have survived the night in the woods.”