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A tragic incident occurred on Mount Marcy, New York’s highest peak, where a 21-year-old hiker lost their life after a fall near the summit, as reported by local authorities.
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise detailed that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has verified the victim’s death. The individual, hailing from New Jersey, was discovered near the summit area on Thursday evening.
The identity of the hiker, including both name and gender, remains undisclosed by officials at this time.
While the NYSDEC has not yet provided a comment to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson informed the Adirondack Daily Enterprise that the hiker had reached out to 911 at 3:05 p.m., reporting a slip that left them stranded off the trail.
In a serene scene captured on June 5, 3017, Mount Marcy is shown during a spring evening, following a ski descent from its summit. (Image Credit: Kevstewa/Istock/Getty Images Plus)
A dog was with the victim, and it was not immediately clear whether anyone else was hiking with them or what caused the slip.
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 five 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.