Rescuers found the body of a 44-year-old man after a fatal fall in New Hampshire’s icy White Mountains on Friday, authorities said.
The man was identified as Christopher Huyler, an outdoor enthusiast from Littleton, New Hampshire. An autopsy is planned but his death is believed to be an accident.
Huyler left home on Nov. 22 to check the conditions of a ski glade prior to the winter skiing season. His hike would take him to the area in the middle of Cannon Ball and up through the Coppermine Brook Valley in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in a press release.
At around 4 p.m. and shortly before sunset, Huyler phoned his wife to say that he was okay and on his way back out. However, Huyler would never make it home.
A few hours later, at around 6:30 p.m., Huyler’s wife called the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department to say that her husband had not returned from his hike on the Coppermine Trail area in Franconia.
A little later, Franconia Police found the hiker’s vehicle on Coppermine Road off Route 116 in Franconia.
Conservation officers from New Hampshire Fish and Game gathered at Huyler’s car. A little after 9:00 p.m. and with a rough idea of the route he intended to take, the team set out in the wilderness to go and look for him, in the dark of night.
“The area that needed to be searched was primarily off the trail and required bushwhacking through thick vegetation while wintery conditions were present,” the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said.
3.2 miles out in the mountains, the target was found.
“Just prior to 1:00 a.m., while ascending the edges of a steep iced-over slide, the body of the missing man was located at around 2,800 feet in elevation.”
Huyler showed no signs of life. Extra personnel from the Fish and Game Department and volunteers from Pemi Valley Search and Rescue Team were called in to assist with the recovery effort. In all, twenty-two rescuers took part.
The additional rescuers arrived at the scene around 5:30 a.m. and began carrying Huyler’s body back to Coppermine road, where they were greeted by the assistant medical examiner upon arrival. Based on first impression, Huyler succumbed to his injuries following “a significant fall in icy terrain.”
Authorities said Huyler, a seasoned outdoors fan, was well equipped on his fatal trek, including footgear with microspikes.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department urged all hikers to prepare well for winter hikes and to always play it safe.
For more information, visit www.hikeSafe.com.