A tragic accident claimed the life of a 21-year-old hiker who fell from the path near the peak of Mount Marcy, New York’s highest mountain, officials reported.
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise shared that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) verified the individual, hailing from New Jersey, was discovered deceased close to the summit area on Thursday evening.
The authorities have yet to disclose any details regarding the hiker’s identity or gender.
Though Fox News Digital has not received a response from the NYSDEC, a representative from the agency informed the Adirondack Daily Enterprise that the hiker had contacted emergency services at 3:05 p.m., explaining they had slipped and could not return to the trail.
A view of Mount Marcy unfolds on a spring evening following a ski descent from the peak on June 5, 2017. (Kevstewa/Istock/Getty Images Plus)
The hiker was accompanied by a dog, but whether there were other companions or the specific cause of the slip remains unclear.
Two forest rangers tried to locate the hiker from a State Police helicopter, but heavy cloud cover around Mount Marcy’s summit prevented them from making visual contact, a NYSDEC spokesperson told the outlet.
A 360-degree view is seen from the summit of Mount Marcy, the highest peak in the Adirondacks and New York state on Nov. 9, 2016. (Timothy Frazier/Istock/Getty Images Plus)
Around 6:06 p.m., one of the rangers was dropped at the Marcy Dam Outpost — roughly 5 miles from and nearly 3,000 feet below the summit — to begin a ground search.
The ranger then hiked toward the hiker’s last known location near the summit and found the 21-year-old at 9:51 p.m., deceased, according to the spokesperson.
The dog was found alive and was led off the mountain by rangers, officials said, but poor weather conditions initially prevented crews from recovering the hiker’s body.
Hikers gather near the summit of Mount Marcy, the highest peak in New York state, in Adirondack Park, Feb. 6, 2020. (Andrew Fraieli/Istock/Getty Images Plus)
A State Police helicopter transported two forest rangers to the site on Friday morning, where they were able to recover the hiker’s remains.
“The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation offers its condolences to the family,” the spokesperson said.
