New Hampshire hermit secures housing for winter

David Lidstone, 81, sits near the Merrimack River, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, in Boscawen, N.H. Lidstone, an off-the-grid New Hampshire hermit known to locals as “River Dave,” had been living in a cabin in the woods along the Merrimack River, in Canterbury, N.H. Lidstone had been squatting in the woods for 27 years. He was jailed July 15, 2021 on a civil contempt sanction and was told he’d be released if he agreed to leave the cabin, that has since burnt down. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — An off-the-grid New Hampshire hermit known as “River Dave” is no longer homeless.

One of his supporters posted on social media that temporary housing has been secured for David Lidstone through the winter while he decides whether to rebuild his cabin or accept some other housing.

The location is being kept secret to protect Lidstone’s privacy, Jodie Gedeon wrote in a statement.

There has been an outpouring of support for Lidstone since he was jailed July 15 and accused of squatting for nearly 30 years on property owned by a Vermont man. His cabin burned down this month shortly before his release.

A GoFundMe page has raised thousands of dollars in donations and others have offered to help Lidstone. Supporters will have a chance to meet Lidstone at a “thank you” event in Warner, New Hampshire, on Saturday.

Lidstone, for his part, said he doesn’t think he can go back to being a hermit. “Maybe the things I’ve been trying to avoid are the things that I really need in life,” he told The Associated Press.

The Associated Press