MOUNT WASHINGTON, N.H. (WMUR) – A 79-year-old tourist was found dead days after he was reported missing at the summit of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington.

New Hampshire Fish and Game officials say they recovered the body of 79-year-old William Davis, of Jacksonville, Florida, around 11 a.m. Friday after three days of searching.

Officials say Davis and his wife took the Cog Railway to the summit of Mount Washington on Wednesday. During their visit, they took a picture by the visitor center sign. Davis then went on a nearby trail and was last seen around 3 p.m.

Officials say Davis was not hiking the mountain.

“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. said.

Davis’ wife later called New Hampshire State Parks asking if they knew where her husband was. An employee briefly reached Davis by phone. The 79-year-old seemed to be lost off-trail and was able to describe his surroundings until his phone apparently lost power.

Search efforts began late Wednesday, with around 50 patrol officers involved over the course of three days. Climate conditions overnight became dangerous Thursday into Friday, and patrols were temporarily called off.

On Friday, Blackhawk helicopters were added to the search, along with more than 20 Fish and Game officers and volunteers from other groups. Davis’ body was discovered on the southeast side of the summit.

It’s not yet clear what caused Davis’ death, but officials say he appears to have fallen from a steep and rocky slope. His body was recovered and taken to the state medical examiner’s office.

Patrick Hummel, park manager at Mount Washington, says the community is grieving alongside Davis’ family.

“This was an intensive one 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 said. “I’m just incredibly sorry about how the situation turned out.”

Officials say it’s not common for someone to go missing from the visitor center at Mount Washington. They’re stressing the importance of understanding immediate weather forecasts and staying with your group.

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