Officials release identity of hiker who died in 300-foot fall in Crawford Notch
By KC Downey
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HART’S LOCATION, New Hampshire (WMUR) — New Hampshire Fish and Game officials on Monday publicly released the identity of the hiker who died Saturday morning after falling hundreds of feet off the summit of Mt. Willard in Crawford Notch.
Joseph “Eggy” Eggleston, 53, of Randolph, was taking photos from the summit with his wife when he fell at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Officials said his wife heard him yell and looked over to see him falling from the cliff. She called 911, but the Mountain Rescue Service was not able to reach the hiker until hours later, officials said.
Officials said Eggleston’s body was found about 300 feet below the summit.
Officials said Eggleston and his wife are longtime New Hampshire residents and frequent hikers. They said Eggleston and his wife were well-prepared for the hike and the weather conditions.
“They were equipped with the essential equipment to include traction devices on their boots for the frozen and icy trail,” officials wrote in a press release.
Eggleston worked as an engineer for the Mount Washington Cog Railway. A heartfelt tribute to him was posted on the Cog’s Facebook page, including a quote from train master Andy Villaine:
“Eggy’s warm smile and passion for what he did will always be remembered by those he touched. I’m honored to have shared a cab with him. His home will always be in these mountains he loved. Gone too soon, never forgotten. That whistle will forever echo off these peaks for you.”
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