Its not only in winter where rescues can get delayed due to weather. Temps have been quite low this past week, add in wind rain and fog and even the rescue crews can get delayed. My guess is the hikers were tented in the area of the Sphinx trail. Not a great place to have to bivy as there is minimal shelterm and storms tend to barrel through. Not a bad place for helicopter pick up but its windy turbulent spot so carry outs seem to occur far more often

https://nhfishgame.com/2021/08/02/in...ulfside-trail/

The Gulfside Trail is also the AT from near the summit of Washington to Madison Hut. Sounds like they had the gear and equipment to survive which given the recent spell of cool weather is something that many hikers probably underestimate.