Man Found Dead In White Mountains After Hiking Alone On Christmas Eve

FRANCONIA, NH — NH Fish and Game conservation officers were notified of an overdue hiker who had been hiking the 8.6-mile Bridle Path/Falling Waters Loop on Saturday.

The caller reported that a 28-year-old man had left for a hike alone and had departed at around 11 a.m. A family member in China had tracked the hiker's progress throughout the day, and at 6:15 p.m., the family member reported that the hiker’s phone was going dead, and it appeared as though the hiker was off trail south of Mount Lincoln.

The family described the hiker as inexperienced, and it was unknown what he was carrying for equipment. Conservation officers were concerned with temperatures near zero, and a search for the hiker commenced. By 2 a.m. on Sunday, a team of conservation officers had reached Franconia Ridge.

Shortly after, the team located what they believed to be the tracks of the hiker. The tracks continued off the trail and ended up in a drainage between Little Haystack Mountain and Mount Lincoln.

At 6:45 a.m., conservation officers located the body of the missing hiker about half a mile from the Falling Waters Trail in Franconia. Rescuers arrived back at the trailhead at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Update: The hiker that died while hiking Franconia Ridge on 12-25-22 was identified as 28-year-old Guopeng “Tony” Li currently of Salem, New Hampshire. Guopeng Li originally comes from Hebei Province China.

In November Emily Sotelo of Westford, Massachusetts, died when she went hiking and was later found by rescue crews.

Conservation Officers would like to remind outdoor enthusiasts that winter conditions have arrived in New Hampshire and that they should prepare accordingly for these conditions. Hikers are asked to adhere to the Hiker Responsibility Code. To see the Code and a list of recommended equipment, visit hikeSafe.com.

All people who enjoy the outdoors should consider the purchase of a Hike Safe Card. Funds from the Hike Safe Card go directly to funding the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s search and rescue responsibility. Cards can be purchased at: wildlife.state.nh.us/safe/index.html.