A New Hampshire hiker fell 300 feet (90 metres) to his death on Saturday after falling off a mountain while he was taking pictures with his wife, officials said.
The man was later identified as Joseph V. Eggleston, 53, of Randolph by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in a Monday statement, as reported by local outlet NECN.
Eggleston and his wife are longtime New Hampshire residents and frequent hikers, the department stated. The couple were well-equipped for the icy trail conditions that day and were wearing “traction devices” on their boots.
Despite their preparedness, officials say Eggleston fell down a steep cliff at the summit of Mt. Willard, where the couple had stopped to take pictures.
His wife heard him yell out around 10:30 a.m. When she turned around to look at him, she saw him falling over the edge of the mountain. The drop extended over 800 feet, or 245 metres, Fish and Game officials said.
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Eggleston’s wife called 911 and conservation officers and members of the Mountain Rescue Service responded to the emergency.
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Rescuers rappelled down the cliff and eventually found Eggleston about 90 metres below the summit of Mt. Willard, where he had fallen. Officials say they found the hiker dead at around 2:30 p.m.
Rescuers were able to raise Eggleston’s body back up to the summit of the mountain and he was then carried back down the trail, arriving at the trailhead at around 6:45, officials said.
Eggleston worked for the Mount Washington Cog Railway, according to a Facebook post from his colleagues. He was affectionately known as “Eggy.”
“Eggy’s warm smile and passion for what he did will always be remembered by those he touched,” train master Andy Villaine said. “I’m honored to have shared a cab with him. His home will always be in these mountains he loved. Gone too soon, never forgotten.”
“That whistle will forever echo off these peaks for you,” the post reads. “Rest in peace, Joe.”
According to CBS Boston, Eggleston’s death marks at least the second fatality this year on Mt. Willard. In February, a 67-year-old man died after going ice climbing on the mountain.
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