A man who was hiking with his wife in New Hampshire's White Mountains on Saturday when he fell off the summit and died has been identified, authorities said Monday.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said the deceased hiker was Joseph V. Eggleston, 53, of Randolph. He and his wife are longtime residents of New Hampshire and are frequent hikers, they said. The couple was well prepared for the trail and weather conditions, equipped with essential equipment like traction devices on their boots due to the frozen and icy trail.
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The couple was taking pictures at the summit of Mt. Willard in Crawford Notch -- a major pass through the mountains located in Hart's Location -- when the woman heard her husband yell around 10:30 a.m. When she looked over, she saw him falling over the edge of the mountain down a steep cliff that extended to the bottom approximately 800 feet, according to the Fish and Game officials.
Due to the icy conditions and steepness of the terrain, the woman called 911, officials said.
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Conservation officers and members of the Mountain Rescue Service responded to the call for help. Rescue technicians rappelled down the cliff and eventually found Eggleston around 2:30 p.m. Fish and Game officials say the man was found dead approximately 300 feet below the summit of Mt. Willard.
Rescue crews were able to remove him from the face of cliff, raising him back up to the summit. His body was then carried off the mountain, arriving back at the Mt. Willard trailhead parking area around 6:45 p.m., officials said.
No further information was released.
