Virginia Man Found Dead On Trail Near A Summit In White Mountains

THOMPSON & MESERVES PURCHASE — New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers report they have recovered the body of a Virginia man on the Gulfside Trail Thursday.

Conservation officers responded at about 8:30 am. when a hiker reported finding the body of a man on the Gulfside Trail near the junction of West Side Trail, which is located about one-half a mile from the summit. The man was deceased and no lifesaving measures were taken. Being approximately 425 feet north of the Cog Railway tracks, Fish and Game requested and received assistance from the Cog Railway, which offered one of its trains and personnel to assist in the body recovery.

The recovery team was taken up in a train and hiked into the scene with a litter. The body was placed in the litter and hiked back to the train, and transported back down to the base station. The man’s body was brought to the State Medical Examiners Officer in Concord for autopsy.

The hiker’s identity is being withheld pending family and next of kin notification. According to his driver’s license, he is a 72-year-old male from Virginia. It appeared the hiker likely succumbed to environmental exposure, but the exact cause of death is pending autopsy results.

Lt. Mark Ober of Fish and Game said little information is known about the hiker. He was dressed in jeans, a dark navy blue raincoat, brown hiking boots, and a small blue backpack. He was not prepared for the conditions that were and are still present in the higher summits of the White Mountains. He likely took a train ride up to the summit in the morning or early afternoon on Wednesday and then decided to try and hike down.

NH Fish and Game asked anyone who might have encountered a hiker matching his description yesterday to contact State Police Troop F at 603-846-3333 or email Lt. Mark Ober.