BROADCASTER O'BRIEN MISSING ON N.H. HIKE

CONWAY, N.H. - Rescue teams tramped through the White Mountains woods until early this morning searching for longtime Boston radio and television broadcaster Ted O'Brien, who failed to return from a hike on Sunday

The 60-year-old midday news anchor for WBUR went on a solo hike on some difficult and lightly traveled trails about 10 miles west of the Maine border, according to New Hampshire officials and station managers

When he did not return by evening, O'Brien's wife, Susan, called WBUR to say that he was missing. She notified the Carroll County, N.H., sheriff's office, which alerted the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

Rescue officials, who used six dogs to help in the operation were expected to suspend their search early this morning and resume at daylight .
WBUR managers, who held a press briefing yesterday afternoon, said O'Brien had no health problems they know of and that he stayed in good physical condition .

Jane christo , general manager of the national public radio affiliate station at boston university , said the staff was optimistic that he would be found . " the weather is good ted is in good shape. It's an easy place to get lost, " she said .

But lieutenant rick estes of the fish and game department , who headed the search, said it is difficult territory.

"as far as terrain, it' desperate" he said. "it's a very , very nasty place. There's a lot of ice-damaged
Trees. The foot trails in that particular area are very, very little used and hard to stay on "
It was the second time in eight days that a visitor has disappeared in the white mountains.
A search for Abraham hauer of Brooklyn, N.Y., ended tragically when well-organized groups
Of fellow Orthodox Jews found his body last Tuesday near Franconia. Hauer had died of natural causes while hiking .

Christo said O'Brien's wife told her that he had been dressed "appropriately " for a hike , though apparently not for staying out overnight in the mountains. " he was probably not as equipped as who estimated that the low temperature early yesterday would have been in the 40s.