CONTACT:
Sgt. Craig Morrocco: (603) 271-3361
Capt. Martin Garabedian: (603) 271-3128
Jane Vachon: (603) 271-3211
January 3, 2007
Night Hiker Dies on Mount Monadnock
CONCORD, N.H. -- Thomas Pummer, age 59, of North Berwick, Maine, died while on a night hike up Mount Monadnock in southwestern New Hampshire in the early morning hours on Wednesday, January 3, 2007. Relatives have been notified. Pummer had been on a moonlit hike up the mountain on the Pumpelly Trail with four companions, and had gone on ahead of the group. Trail conditions were icy and snow-encrusted. At about 2:00 a.m., his companions found Pummer lying unconscious on the trail. He was above the treeline, about 3/4 mile from the summit. The other hikers called 911 to request help and initiated CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation), but were unsuccessful in reviving Pummer. The exact cause of his death has not yet been determined.
This morning (January 3, 2007), rescue officials will help carry Pummer's body down the mountain, a distance of approximately 2 and 1/4 miles. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers, New Hampshire State Park staff and Upper Valley Search and Rescue volunteers are assisting in this effort.
No further details are available at this time.
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hikeSafe: Fish and Game officials urge hikers
to visit www.hikesafe.com
before heading out on the trail, for a valuable refresher on the rules
for safe hiking, such as keeping your group together on the trail, as
well as a list of essential gear to carry. The site also includes links
to websites, such as the Mt. Washington Observatory, for weather updates
and other information.
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