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A MOM-OF-FOUR plunged 75-feet to her death in front of her terrified children on a family hike at a state park.
Carolyn ‘Carrie’ Sanger from Topsfield, Massachusetts, was walking at the Purgatory Chasm State Reservation on Wednesday afternoon when she slipped and fell.
The 49-year-old’s three horrified children who witnessed the fall desperately raced to alert park rangers at around 2pm, Sutton police told Boston 25 News.
She had plummeted between 50 and 75 feet off a rock at the natural landmark.
Despite revival attempts by medical professionals who happened to be nearby, the former nurse died at the scene.
“We believe it was simply a loss of footing and a trip,” family friend Tim Paoli told the local news outlet.
“That particular part of the trail, my understanding is it’s a scarier part of the trail.
“We don’t believe she was on her phone or anything like that.”
Investigators are looking into the incident but believe it was a tragic accident.
“We extend our sympathies to the family from this tragic, tragic loss from this fall,” said Sutton Police Chief Thomas Calouro.
“On Wednesday April 23, 2025 at approximately 1347 hours, the Sutton Police Department received a 9-1-1 call for a female party that had fallen approximately 50-75 feet in the Purgatory Chasm,” the police department said.
“There were multiple medial professionals in the area hiking the Chasm at the same time, and were able to provide medical attention right away.
“However, she had succumbed to the injuries sustained during the fall, and was pronounced deceased a short time later.
“This is currently an active investigation but does appear to be accidental.”
“The Sutton Police Department would like to extend our condolences to the family during this very difficult time,” they added.
“She was an amazing, amazing human,” Carolyn’s distraught husband Michael Sanger told WCVB.
Full Statement on GoFundMe
On behalf of the Sanger family, Mike and the kids would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and condolences through calls, text messages, etc.
There is something to be said for living in a close-knit community like the Tritown.
For those that knew Carrie, know that she was a bright light; a wonderful, selfless mother who has raised four incredible, respectful, responsible kids.
She was a friend to all and her smile and kind spirit will be greatly missed. She passed too early- but she left the earth doing what she loved, with the ones she loved.
Mike is a quite the opposite of Carrie! Where she was the outgoing extrovert, Mike prefers living a quiet but very proud life.
He has a circle of close friends who he considers family and navigating this time will be particularly difficult.
Asking for help is never easy-accepting help and needing help for a reason like this is even harder.
Carrie recently left her lifetime career as an Oncology nurse to pursue her passion for wellness.
She purchased a building in town, renovated it with her own two hands and opened Balanced Body in Topsfield.
Funds from this will go directly to helping the family navigate these uncertain financial times.
From the bottom of our hearts on behalf of the Sanger Family, thank you.
“She was the brightness and the light on a dark day for a lot of people.”
BROKEN DREAMS
The pair were due to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in September after meeting in college.
Carrie who retired as an oncology nurse to follow her dream of running a wellness business had bought and started renovating a studio just before her death.
Grieving friends and clients left flowers on the doorstep of Balanced Body which was due to have its grand opening next month.
Carolyn’s mom wrote on Facebook: “Our beautiful gifted, kind, loving, spirited daughter Carrie Daniels Sanger taken far too soon.”
A family friend added that her death was like a “punch in the gut”.
“Such a sweetheart who I met through networking, so genuine and caring,” the friend wrote.
“Hurts more because I’ve been to Purgatory Chasm several times and know how many families go there for a great time in the outdoors.”
Hiker Andy Spears spoke to WCVB about the dangers of exploring the landmark known for its rocky terrain and 70-foot granite chasm.
“There are trails above the chasm that you can go along and there are some dangerous overhangs there if you’re going to the edge to look down, you can definitely slip and go down that way,” Spears said.
“It’s really sad that it had to happen at a place like this.
“It’s one of those things you’re always going to wonder what could have been done to prevent it.”
Police noted how it was difficult to access Carolyn as there were rock cliffs on both sides of where she landed.
“It’s absolutely tragic,” fellow hiker Alexis Claudio said.
“I honestly can’t even believe something like this would happen—especially so close.”
‘WHAT SHE LOVED’
Paoli and his wife launched a GoFundMe on behalf of Carrie’s family to help support them during this difficult time.
The couple praised Carrie as a “bright light [and] a wonderful, selfless mother” who “passed too early but she left the earth doing waht she loved, with the ones she loved”.
Paoli told Boston 25 of the devastating moment he and his wife heard of Carrie’s death and “lost it”.
They were on the phone to Mike while watching a local news report.
“I answered the phone by saying, ‘Mike, do you know who they’re talking about (from Topsfield),’” Paoli said.
Mike replied: “Yeah, Tim, they’re talking about Carrie.”
“We lost it,” Paoli said.
At the time of writing, over $101,000 has been raised for the family.
