Missing Hiker Found Dead in White Mountains

A spring outing in New Hampshire's White Mountains ended in tragedy for a Massachusetts hiker caught by a fast-changing forecast, officials say. New Hampshire Fish and Game said 61-year-old Kent Wood of West Roxbury had arrived at Franconia Notch on April 17 in mild weather for a camping and hiking trip. Fox News and CBS News report he set out on a hike from Lafayette Campground amid "warm temperatures and clear skies" Saturday morning and was last heard from that afternoon.

Relatives reported Wood missing Tuesday morning, and search teams discovered his body that evening on a remote portion of the Kinsman Pond Trail, about 5.5 miles from his car. Officials say he had prepared for spring conditions, not the 3 to 5 inches of snow that fell between Sunday and Monday. His death follows the rescue of six other Massachusetts hikers in the White Mountains since Friday, prompting a renewed warning that winter-like conditions, including snow and freezing temperatures, still prevail at higher elevations.