By Guy Page

Sometimes no news is good news, especially when it’s news about a plane crash.

A massive multi-agency search on Mount Pisgah in Westmore  Monday afternoon was launched after an automatic emergency alert from a cellphone indicated a possible airplane crash with multiple occupants, but authorities later determined no crash had occurred.

The search prompted media coverage in local news outlets, including the Newport Daily Express.

The Vermont State Police said the alert was received at about 1 p.m. Monday, July 13, and indicated a possible aircraft crash on Mount Pisgah in Westmore. 

Numerous agencies responded, including the Vermont State Police, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, Vermont Division of Fire Safety, Glover Ambulance Service, Westmore Fire Department, Charleston Fire Department, Newport Ambulance Service and other emergency responders.

Troopers, game wardens, sheriff’s deputies and EMS personnel searched the rugged terrain on foot while the Vermont State Police and Division of Fire Safety deployed drones to assist. The Vermont National Guard also joined the effort, conducting an aerial search of the heavily wooded area surrounding Mount Pisgah.

During the search, investigators identified the owner of the cellphone that generated the emergency alert. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to reach the individual, the cellphone owner contacted state police about three hours later and reported they had been hiking on Mount Pisgah but had not been involved in an aircraft crash.

Police then ended the search after finding no evidence of a downed aircraft or injured people. Investigators said the cellphone owner never lost possession of the device, and it remains unclear what triggered the automated emergency alert.