Local news

The investigation into the cause of death is still ongoing.

A 72-year-old Virginia man was found dead near the summit of Mount Washington, authorities said.

Around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, a hiker found his body about a half-mile below the summit, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division.

The cog railway offered to send a special train and crew to help the fisheries and game authority recover the man’s body, which was located about 130 metres north of the cog railway tracks.

Rescue crews carried the body back to the train, which took it to the base station. From there, they transported the body to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Concord for an autopsy.

Officials from the Fish and Game Administration, New Hampshire State Police and Twin Mountain Fire Department responded to the emergency call.

Authorities are not releasing the hiker’s name until his family has been notified.

According to the authorities, the man probably died as a result of environmental influences. However, the exact cause of death will only be determined after the results of the autopsy.

Authorities said they knew little more about the hiker. The man was wearing jeans, a dark blue raincoat, brown hiking boots and a small blue backpack.

He was unprepared for conditions on the higher peaks of the White Mountains. Authorities believe he took the train up to the summit on Wednesday morning or early afternoon and then decided to descend on foot.

New Hampshire Fish and Game asks anyone who may have encountered a hiker matching its description to contact State Police Troop F at 603-843-3333 or Lt. Mark Ober at (email protected).

This is not the first death this year on the mountain, which is notoriously difficult to climb. In March, a skier died after falling into a ravine.

Fish and Game notes that the weather on the higher peaks is cold, wet and windy, creating ideal conditions for hypothermia and other cold-related injuries. The agency advises hikers to check the weather forecast at the Mount Washington Observatory before setting out.