Emily Sotelo’s body found
The body of the hiker, last seen on Sunday morning, was found on Wednesday, fish and game officers said. Officials said the body of Emily Sotelo, who would have been 20 on Wednesday, was found just after 11 a.m. northwest side of Mount Lafayette in Franconia. Officials said footprints and objects belonging to Sotelo were found at the head of the Lafayette stream. As plans were being made to focus search efforts in the area, her body was found at 11:15 am. A New Hampshire Army National Guard helicopter was able to help remove her body from the area. Sotelo was flown Sunday morning to Lafayette Set up a campground near Franconia Notch and has not been seen since. She planned to climb three peaks that day. According to official records, the search for Sotelo began on Sunday evening and continued all night after a family member reported her missing. That night, the search engines were hampered by strong winds, cold temperatures and a snowstorm. Several agencies assisted in the search, and other tourists said they were following her. Officials said hiking trails in the White Mountains can be treacherous, especially in autumn and winter. “The most important lessons learned from such a tragedy is when you go hiking in New Hampshire, especially the White Mountains, be prepared for the unexpected,” said Fish and Game Maj. David Walsh. “Prepare with knowledge. Know the weather conditions. Dress appropriately for the weather conditions. Have extra clothing. Have extra food, water. Have a headlamp map, compass.” turn around and try again another day.
The body of the hiker, last seen Sunday morning, was found on Wednesday, Fish and Game officers said.
Officials said the body of Emily Sotelo, who would have turned 20 on Wednesday, was found just after 11 a.m. on the northwest side of Mount Lafayette in Franconia.
Officials said footprints and objects belonging to Sotelo were found at the headwaters of Lafayette Creek. As plans were being made to focus search efforts in the area, her body was found at 11:15 am.
A New Hampshire Army National Guard helicopter was able to help carry her body out of the area.
Sotelo dropped off on sunday morning at the Lafayette Place campsite near Franconia Notch and has not been seen since. On this day, she planned to climb three peaks.
Officials said the search for Sotelo began Sunday evening and continued through the night after a family member reported her missing. The search engines that night were hampered by strong winds, cold temperatures and a snowstorm.
Several agencies assisted in the search, and other tourists said they were following her.
Officials said hiking trails in the White Mountains can be treacherous, especially in autumn and winter.
“The main lessons learned from such a tragedy are that when you go hiking in New Hampshire, especially the White Mountains, be prepared for the unexpected,” said Fish and Game Maj. David Walsh. “Prepare competently. Know the weather conditions. Dress for the weather. Have extra clothing. Have a supply of food and water.
They said travelers should also be aware of their limitations and know when to turn around and try again another day.