Missing 87-Year-Old Hiker Found Dead After Partner Is Rescued

Authorities in New Jersey said an elderly woman, 87, was found dead and her hiking partner, 77, was rescued after they went missing during a mountain excursion.

Montville Township Police Department

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The Montville Township Police Department in New Jersey was searching for two missing “at risk” persons after their unattended vehicle was found in the parking lot of Pyramid Mountain on Aug. 31

They determined John Higgins, 77, and Virginia Taetzch, 87, had gone on a hike the day before

Authorities later found Higgins alive, and then Taetzch’s body during another search

Authorities in New Jersey said an elderly woman was found dead and her hiking partner was rescued after they went missing during a mountain excursion.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, in a notice posted to Facebook, the Montville Township Police Department called on the public’s assistance in locating two missing “at risk” persons: John Higgins, 77, and Virginia Taetzch, 87. Authorities said the two were last seen at Pyramid Mountain in Boonton.

In an update posted nearly 12 hours later, the police said that officials with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office found an unattended vehicle in the parking lot of Pyramid Mountain on the evening of Monday, Aug. 31.

Authorities searched the surrounding area to find the vehicle’s owner, adding that a missing persons’ investigation later determined Higgins and Taetzch went on a hike on Pyramid Mountain on Sunday, Aug. 30, at about 1:00 p.m. local time.

During a more thorough search on Tuesday involving over 30 officers, authorities found Higgins alive at approximately 11:40 a.m. He was taken out of the park and transported to Morristown Memorial Hospital, police said.

Officers later found Taetzch, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

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“This was a tremendous effort by the men and women of multiple Morris County Law Enforcement agencies,” Montville Township Police Chief Andrew Caggiano said in a statement. “The coordination and determination of all of those officers were able to save Mr. Higgins’ life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Ms. Taetzch.”

No further information was given about the circumstances of the pair’s disappearance or Taetzch’s death.

In addition to the Montville Township Police Department, the search involved other agencies, including the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the Kinnelon Police Department and the Montville Fire Department, authorities said.

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PEOPLE contacted the Montville Township Police Department on Thursday, Sept. 3, but did not receive an immediate reply.

Higgins and Taetzch were friends who lived at the Cedar Crest Senior Living Community in Pompton Plains, per CBS affiliate WCBS.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Virginia [Taetzch], a cherished member of our Cedar Crest community,” a spokesperson for Cedar Crest told the outlet. “Our hearts are with her families, friends, and all who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time. Cedar Crest is a close-knit community, and this loss is felt profoundly by us all.”

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