MT. WASHINGTON, New Hampshire – A 72-year-old hiker was found deceased on the Gulfside Trail on Mount Washington at around 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning. According to New Hampshire Fish & Game, the man was found around 425 feet north of the Cog Railway tracks and about half a mile from the summit.
Assistance was requested from Cog Railway, who offered a train and personell to help with the recovery. Fish and Game, NH State Police, and Twin Mountain Fire Department responded to the scene. The body was transported to the Base Station in the train, then moved to the State Medical Examiners Officer in Concord.
The hikers name is currently being withheld pending family notification, but the man was 72 and from Virginia. The man was wearing jeans, a navy blue raincoat, brown hiking boots, and small blue backpack. It appears that the man was unprepared for the conditions on the mountain.
While the exact cause of death is not yet known, it does appear that the man took the train up on Wednesday, August 21, and attempted to descend the mountain on foot. During the hike, it appears that the man succumbed to environmental exposure.
“As a reminder, the weather conditions at summit elevations remain cold, wet, and windy. These are prime conditions for hypothermia and other weather-related injuries. Be sure to check the forecast provided by the Mount Washington Observatory before venturing out.“ – New Hampshire Fish & Game
Anyone who may have come in contact with a person matching this man’s description is asked to call State Police Troop F at (603) 846-3333, or email Lieutenant Mark Ober at mark.w.oberjr@wildlife.nh.gov.