Man plummets to his death after falling from mountain ledge near waterfall

A man is dead after slipping and falling off of a ledge on a mountain while he was hiking with two friends over the weekend.

The incident occurred on Saturday at approximately 12:50 p.m. when a group of three people made the decision to ride the tram to the top of Cannon Mountain, a peak in New Hampshire located in the White Mountain National Forest in the northern part of the state.

The three people had planned to tour the summit of the mountain before returning back to base by taking the tram down again, according to a statement released by New Hampshire Fish and Game on Monday. The group, however, reportedly changed their mind and decided that they would hike down the mountain instead.

“Unfortunately, they were not following an established hiking trail, starting down what they thought was a ski trail,” New Hampshire Fish and Game said in their statement. “The group encountered a location that was rocky, wet, and steep with a waterfall. As the group tried to maneuver their way down, one of the hikers slipped causing him to fall off a ledge.”

Authorities say the other two members who witnessed the fall immediately called 911 for help and first responders were able to hike to the coordinates provided by the witnesses in an attempt to locate the missing man. But when authorities arrived, they located a deceased male at the bottom of the waterfall.

“Conservation Officers and members of the Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team brought him to the tram parking lot, arriving at approximately 3:35 p.m.,” said New Hampshire Fish and Game.

The victim was subsequently transported by Ross Funeral Home to Littleton, New Hampshire.

The man’s identity has not yet been disclosed and he will remain unnamed until his family have been notified of his death.