Photo: Courtesy of New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
CUTT'S GRANT, N.H. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The body of a hiker who had been missing since April 16 was found on Monday morning in the White Mountains.
William Donovan was 65 years old and was from Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was first reported missing to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in late April after Donovan had been unaccounted for and not seen for around two weeks.
The search team at the time did not locate any evidence or clues as to Donovan's whereabouts as they conducted a search in and around the Crawford Path Trailhead and other trails including Crawford Path, Edmands Path, Mt. Eisenhower, Mt. Pierce, and the ridgeline connecting them.
The NH Fish and Game Department said that at the time of the initial search in late April, there was still several feet of deep snow in high elevations, which hindered search efforts.
Officials asked the hiking community and anyone who knew Donovan to contact them, especially since the area they were searching is vast with several hiking trails and miles of dense forest.
Donovan lived alone in Cambridge and investigators did not find an itinerary or intention for hiking in the area.
Since he had been missing for two weeks, the immediate search activities were suspended after the initial search until more information or leads were discovered.
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Over the weekend of May 11 and 12, hikers found gear and a jacket believed to have belonged to Donovan in the Dry River.
Search teams were then sent out to look for Donovan, including conservation officers and drone teams from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, New England K9, and Upper-Valley Wilderness Response Team.
Donovan's body was found over two-and-half miles in from Route 302 and about 400 feet upstream from where the jacket was found.
Officials worked for hours to free the body from underneath a large boulder, said NH Fish and Game Department in a press release on Tuesday.
They reported that they still do not know why Donovan was in the Dry River Wilderness or how he got into the water.
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