The woman who got lost up here in Maine is found, dead but found.

Missing AT hiker died of exposure, lack of food and water
Posted by Bobbie Hanstein • October 31, 2015 •

AUGUSTA – Skeletal remains found on Oct. 14, 2015, in Redington Township were confirmed through DNA analysis by the state's medical examiner as Geraldine Largay. Her death was ruled accidental, resulting from a lack of food, water and exposure.

An experienced hiker, Largay was last seen on the early morning of Monday, July 22, 2013, at Poplar Lean-to on the AT in Maine.

The Warden Service said that after examination of the remains and working in conjunction with information from investigators on the case, the chief medical examiner determined this was "an accidental death due to lack of food and water and environmental exposure," according to Cpl. John MacDonald, spokesman for the Warden's Service.

The cell phone found in Geraldine’s possession has been examined by the Maine State Police Computer Crime Lab. Information found on the cell phone concluded that Largay reached Orbeton Stream and the discontinued railroad bed crossing in the late morning of July 22, 2013. Shortly after reaching that intersection, she continued north on the AT and at some point left the trail and became lost. The exact location where she departed the trail is unknown.

The remains were found on Wednesday, Oct. 14, by a contractor conducting a forestry survey as part of an environmental impact statement on property owned by the U.S. Navy in Redington Township. The contractor reported his findings to the Navy who subsequently alerted the Maine Warden Service. Personnel to include game wardens, State Police personnel, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigators, and a Medical Examiner’s Office representative hiked to the scene of the remains Thursday morning Oct. 15.

According to MacDonald, "the scene included skeletal remains and several pieces of clothing and belongings consistent with items known to be in Largay’s possession. The remains were located west of the Maine Public Reserve Land that contains a portion of the AT and about 3,500 feet east of the easterly shore of Redington Pond.

"These findings now bring closure to one of Maine’s most unique and challenging search and rescue incidents," he said.

Geraldine “Gerry” Anita Largay, 66, started her hike on the AT in April of 2013 at Harpers Ferry, W.V.; her trail name was “inchworm.” Her destination was Baxter State Park in Maine. Her husband George Largay kept track of her along the way and made frequent predetermined stops to resupply her.


http://www.dailybulldog.com...k-of-food-and-water/

From that article or maybe it was the comments under the article it seems the part of the trail is one of the most difficult in the entire length of it.

More at the link as well as a map of where they found her.

Steve


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[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 11-03-2015).]

Just seems weird...

"An experienced hiker"

And dying from exposure in July/August?

Sad.
But I thought this was going to be about Amelia Earhart. No, seriously.

I believe this woman was the feature story of one of the Northwoods Law tv series. After 2 years, the outcome was obvious, but glad she was found to bring closure to family and friends.

quote Originally posted by Cheever3000: Sad. But I thought this was going to be about Amelia Earhart. No, seriously.

So did I, just like anytime I read anything about a woman scientist, my brain-jerk reaction is that its about Marie Curie.

Interesting. Usually we never hear of the ending. I too remember the story.

quote Originally posted by TheDigitalAlchemist: Just seems weird... "An experienced hiker" And dying from exposure in July/August?

And to get to Maine, the last stretch of the AT, you pass a LOT of other opportunities to die.

It may be that she was easily lost, and the relative ease of the rest of the trail (As far as finding it.) had kept her safe to that point.

Not sure how you die from exposure in the summer after hiking the rest of the trail though..

I thought about it, if it was rainy and she wasn't properly protected she could have gotten hypothermia and died as a result. I don't think it would even have had to be rainy.
http://www.theactivetimes.c...reventing-unexpected
Brad

[This message has been edited by Fats (edited 11-03-2015).]

quote Originally posted by fierofool: I believe this woman was the feature story of one of the Northwoods Law tv series. After 2 years, the outcome was obvious, but glad she was found to bring closure to family and friends.

Yes, I think she was. They searched for a few days but without any clue as to her location, they had to give up.

We are friends with a couple of the wardens and they had a couple of episodes on this. From what I have read and heard from them she got off the main trail and fell some distance down a high rock formation. Being well off the trail the wardens never searched there. but some surveyor found her. See she actually ended up in part of what is a military training area for SEALs and the rest of the special forces. And is well marked all along the boarder. Not fenced but signs everywhere. I think she also broke an ankle or something like that, not the worst injury but not good on a rough trail like that part is.

But at least they found her, surprised she hadn't been ravaged by the wildlife up here. For anyone looking to disappear this is a great place, there are places up here that only see people when its hunting season and the like. That and the state can't find crap if it was on their own shoes.

Steve

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 11-03-2015).]

My wife and family own/owned property not far from Steve and he is far south of where this lady disappeared, and he's also at a much lower elevation. I can personally testify to how the temperatures unexpectedly change in that party of the country.

My wife and I were on a July motorcycle trip to Quebec and stopped at our camp in Vienna, about 20 miles from Steve and a good 5-6 hours from where this lady disappeared. When we passed through Boston around mid-day, it was sunny and 94 degrees. We forgot the key to the camp and had to pitch tent in the yard. That night, the temperature dropped into the 50's and it began a heavy foggy drizzle which held throughout our journey to Quebec City. The only long sleeves we had were Levi jackets and rain gear.

That's what we wore for the rest of the ride to Quebec. My wife was close to hypothermia when we arrived and spent quite some time in the warm shower at the campground. Even an experienced hunter or hiker can succumb to an unexpected change of weather, especially if they are low on provisions or not properly clothed.

quote Originally posted by TheDigitalAlchemist: Just seems weird... "An experienced hiker" And dying from exposure in July/August?

All I can say is that I was on Mt. St. Helens, during the last week of June, 2001.
It was raining.
I have never been so cold and miserable in my life. Fortunately, I was only a block or two from the car.
Weather and altitude...
I don't have a bit of trouble believing this, and I'm not an experienced outdoor person in any way, shape, or form.

quote Originally posted by fierofool: That's what we wore for the rest of the ride to Quebec. My wife was close to hypothermia when we arrived and spent quite some time in the warm shower at the campground. Even an experienced hunter or hiker can succumb to an unexpected change of weather, especially if they are low on provisions or not properly clothed.

Glad you both made it, weather up here and the other northern state can be summed up in this sentence.

"Don't like the weather in Maine, stick around a min, it will change." Most times not for the better.

As a 30 year old I climb Mount Monadnock in NH with a girlfriend, in the middle of the summer in 90+ temps and when we got to the summit it was so dam cold we only spent a few min there, the wind and temps had dropped below 40F up there.

I never liked hiking alone but did many times as a kid under 20, did many mountains in the new England area, they are all the same as far as temp changes and the like. If its 90 at the base of the mountain you can almost be guarantied it will be a lot dam colder than that at the peak.

Charlie, we are a little more than an hour from Sugarloaf Mt. used to go for special Olympics every winter, Amanda did cross country skiing at the mountain base. When we went to the lodge for the opening ceremonies it was cold, windy and raw. Our place is actually colder as we are in a valley at the bottom of a hill. if the weatherman says it's going to be 50 in Farmington today it is usually 10 degrees colder here at our place. If you look at the map bellow you can see just how close we are, to sugarloaf and all the other ski areas are all around where she was. The red thing shows Spaulding mountain and if you look at the yellow marker that is my place. But anyway she was in an area that can be very unforgiving to someone who has a mishap on the trail. Remember, she was hiking alone, first mistake. Anyone ever sprain an ankle and then have to walk any distance can verify that is a cake walk on pavement to get to the doctors office for him to look at it, compared to walking on a trail filled with roots growing out of the trail.

if what the wardens we know told me was true she had fallen it looked like from a higher point on the trail off a ledge or something, fell some distance and broke her ankle. Now think about that sprained ankle, now think about a broken ankle. I wonder how all us he man women haters would have done after an injury like that. in a place like that.

Fats I put this up for you, be carful out there if you ever do get on that trail all this way. It was you who wanted to do that wasn't it? I ain't in any kind of shape anymore to do something like that up here so you would be on your own and completely alone out on that very same section of that trail.



Steve

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 11-05-2015).]