A hiker has died after falling off the top of a mountain while taking photos with his wife.
The incident happened at around 10.30am on Saturday December 3 on the summit of Mount Willard, New Hampshire, US.
The last thing the man's wife heard was a yell and when she turned she saw him falling over the edge of the 800ft cliff.
In a statement, Fish and Game said the conditions were so icey and the terrain so steep the distraught woman couldn't reach her husband.
Experts were called in and they rappelled down the cliff to the fallen man, who was about 300ft below the summit of the cliff.
The rescue technicians reached the man at around 2.30pm but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
The rescue technicians reached the man at around 2.30pm but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Rescue crews from the Mountain Rescue Service then began the difficult journey of getting the man's body to the nearest road and the trailhead parking lot was reached at 6.45pm.
The hiker's name has not been released nor has any other personal information about him pending notification from his family.
The statement from Fish and Game read: "The hiker’s wife heard her husband yell and looked over to notice him falling over the edge of the mountain down a steep cliff that extended to the bottom approximately 800 feet."
New Hampshire Fish and Game has a website dedicated to hiking safely filed with advice about what any prospective hiker should do before heading out on a trip.
Hiking is a popular past time for many Americans but it is not without its dangers.
On November 22 a husband and wife were caught out by an unexpected cold snap while hiking in Zion National Park, Utah.
They had started out on the permitted top-down 16-mile Narrows route, but during the hike it became dangerously cold overnight to the point they noticed apparent symptoms of hypothermia.
They stopped for the night about a mile and a half from the north end of Riverside Walk and when morning broke the man left his wife to try go get help.
Other visitors to the park stumbled across him on the Riverside Walk on November 23 and eventually Park Rangers were alerted to the emergency. He was rushed to the Zion Emergency Operations Center.
The woman was also found near the Virgin River by visitors who were trying to perform CPR when park officials arrived. Zion Search and Rescue Team members provided emergency care but she was sadly deceased.
That tragedy came the same week another female hiker died from exposure to the cold.
Emily Sotelo, 19, was reported missing on Sunday November 20 after she decided to climb all of New Hampshire's 48 peaks alone - but missed a crucial turn on her way down and ended up lost.
Her mum dropped her off at the trail as one of her goals was to climb New Hampshire's 48 peaks before her 20th birthday this week.
During a four-day search for the missing teen her body was found in Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire, on November 23 at 11am.
