Hiker falls to his death at waterfall when group gets lost on mountain, NH cops say

A hiker fell to his death after the group he was traveling with got lost and wound up stuck at the top of a waterfall, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division.

It happened around 12:50 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, on Cannon Mountain near Franconia, about 80 miles north of Concord, state officials said in a news release.

The identity of the hiker has not been released as of Aug. 22.

“A group of three had ridden up the tram, planned on touring around the summit and returning via the tram,” New Hampshire Fish and Game reports.

“When the group got to the summit, they changed their mind and decided to hike down the mountain. Unfortunately, they were not following a hiking trail and started down what they thought was a ski trail.”

The group came to an impassible spot on the mountain “that was rocky, wet and steep with a waterfall,” officials said.

“As the group tried to maneuver their way down, one of the hikers slipped causing him to fall off the edge,” officials said. “The two other members called 911 for assistance as they could no longer see their companion.”

First responders used coordinates provided by the group and hiked to the bottom of the waterfall, where they “found a deceased male,” officials said.

Searchers carried the hiker to the tram parking lot and he was taken to a funeral home in Littleton, officials said.

Investigators did not say how far the hiker fell. Cannon Mountain has a 4,080-foot summit that gives visitors a view of four states and Canada, according to New Hampshire State Parks.

Some trails on Cannon Mountain are known to be “very difficult due to its steep and loose dirt,” according to New England Hiking.

This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 9:49 AM with the headline "Hiker falls to his death at waterfall when group gets lost on mountain, NH cops say."