Hiker dies in 'significant' icy fall from New Hampshire mountain
Officials said they were notified by the victim's wife that he had failed to return home after hiking in the Coppermine Trail area in Franconia on Friday.
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LINCOLN, N.H. – A New Hampshire man was found dead after an apparent "significant" fall while he was hiking in the White Mountains on Friday, according to state officials.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said it was notified by the wife of 44-year-old Christopher Huyler, of Littleton, that he had failed to return home after hiking in the Coppermine Trail area in Franconia during the day.
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Officials said he set out earlier to check on conditions ahead of the winter ski season and had told his wife that he was OK and was headed out of the area around 4 p.m.
After he failed to return home in a reasonable amount of time, she called for help.
A search was launched, and Franconia police were able to locate his vehicle off Coppermine Road. The rescuers then headed up the mountain a little after 9 p.m. and primarily searched off the trail while winter conditions were present.
Officials said Huyler’s body was found just before 1 a.m. Saturday while crews were ascending to the edge of a steep, iced-over slide.
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By about 5:30 a.m., more rescuers arrived and were able to start the 3.2-mile journey back to the trailhead with Huyler’s body. Rescuers arrived at the trailhead just before 9 a.m. and were met by the assistant medical examiner.
"It was apparent that the man had suffered a significant fall in icy terrain," officials said in a news release. "He was wearing micro spikes and was well-equipped for a hike."
Huyler was described as an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed New Hampshire’s White Mountains all year.
Officials said an autopsy is planned to determine his official cause of death.