Final photo of Florida man, 79, who made frightened 911 call before dying on New Hampshire mountain
William Davis, 79, had taken the historic Cog Railway up to the 6,288-foot peak on Wednesday when he mysteriously wandered off near the visitor center and never returned.
He made a frightening 911 call and was later found dead by New Hampshire Fish and Game officials after a three-day search.
Officials say Davis was not planning to hike and had no gear or preparation for the trails.
After taking the phone, he unexpectedly left the designated area around 3pm.
His wife became concerned when he didn't return and contacted New Hampshire State Parks.
'Really, all we know is he had no intention to hike, but for some reason, he went off on the hiking trails, and no one knows why,' Fish and Game Lt. Mark Ober Jr. told local outlet WCAX.
One official briefly reached Davis by phone for a moment.
He appeared disoriented and said he was lost before the line went dead most likely because his phone had died.
Rescuers launched a massive search with more than 50 officers who looked the surrounding terrain.
But dangerous weather conditions Thursday night caused a halt to the search and forced crews to briefly suspend efforts.
By Friday morning, a Blackhawk helicopter joined the operation along with more than 20 Fish and Game officers and volunteers who spread out across the mountain.
Just after 11am, Davis' body was discovered on the steep and rocky southeastern slope near the summit.
Officials believe he most likely fell from a step area.
An official cause of death will be determined by the state medical examiner.
Patrick Hummel, manager of Mount Washington State Park, told the outlet their entire team was shaken by the tragic outcome.
'This was an intensive one,' he said. 'And filled with a lot of unanswered questions that we still don't have and may not have answers to.'
'As far as Mr. Davis' thought process and even his tracking and where he went and how he ended up on the eastern side of Mount Washington,' Hummel continued.
'I'm just incredibly sorry about how the situation turned out.'
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