MILLINOCKET, Maine (AP) — The body of an unidentified hiker was found at the summit of Mount Katahdin, the second death in two days, Maine officials said.
The hiker, a man, was found dead Thursday morning, Baxter State Park said. It was not immediately clear what caused his death.
On Wednesday, Donald MacGillis, 74, died after he got lost hiking near the summit and fell while spending the night on the mountain awaiting rescuers. He was in critical condition when airlifted from the mountain, and later died of his injuries.
“The mountain is a formidable place, especially as winter approaches,” Baxter Park Director Eben Sypitkowski said. He encouraged hikers to be prepared, and be ready to stop short of their goal if it means staying safe.
The body recovered on Thursday was transported for an autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office in Augusta, officials said.
The removal of the body represented the seventh airlift from Katahdin this year. There have been more than 60 deaths on Maine’s tallest mountain since 1933, according to Randi Minetor’s 2018 book “Death on Katahdin.”
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