An automatic emergency alert from a cellphone led to a large-scale search for a downed aircraft on Mount Pisgah in Westmore on Monday, July 13, 2026, before the phone owner confirmed they were hiking and not in a crash.
The Vermont State Police received the alert about 1 p.m. and mobilized numerous agencies, including the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Vermont Division of Fire Safety, Glover Ambulance Service, Westmore and Charleston fire departments, and others. The National Guard conducted an aerial search of the heavily wooded area, while state police and partners used drones and foot patrols.
Within about three hours, police identified and contacted the cellphone owner, who said they had been hiking on the mountain and were not involved in an aviation incident. The search was called off with no evidence of a crash or injured parties found.
Investigators said the phone never left the owner’s possession, and what triggered the automated emergency alert remains unknown.
NEK will be looking into how automatic emergency alerts are initiated and whether any changes are needed to prevent similar mobilizations.
Photo: Fortheloveofhistory (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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