A three-day search for a hiker who went missing from the summit of Mt. Washington on Wednesday ended in tragedy.
New Hampshire Fish and Games confirmed on Friday that they located the body of William Davis around 11 a.m.
Officials say Davis was not a hiker, had no map, and wandered off the summit without telling anyone where he was going.
A crew of conservation officers and volunteers from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue scoured the western side of the mountain on Wednesday night and all day Thursday with no evidence of his whereabouts.
On Friday, the weather deteriorated on the mountain to high winds, clouds, rain, and temperatures in the low 40’s with 32 degree wind chill.
Crews searched the east and south slopes off trail sections and located Davis’s body 400 feet off Lion Head Trail between Alpine Garden Trail and Tuckerman Ravine Trail, according to authorities.
A cause of death for Davis has not been determined, but a NH Fish & Game spokesperson said it was clear he suffered a significant fall from a steep, rocky slope.
An autopsy will be conducted by the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
Officials say there is no indication how Davis ended up at that location and how far he had traveled over rocky terrain to get there.
“It is a tragic end to a tough search mission and the Fish and Game Department would like to thank all the volunteers and staff who worked tirelessly to bring Davis back to his family,” a spokesperson wrote in a press release.
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