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Missing AT hiker died of exposure, lack of food and water

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Photos courtesy of the Maine Warden Service. 01) Last known photo of Geraldine Largay taken at Poplar Lean-to July 22, 2013.
Last known photo of Geraldine Largay taken at Poplar Lean-to July 22, 2013. (Photo courtesy of the Maine Warden Service)

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.

Map showing Appalachian Trail highlighting Poplar Ridge Lean-to, Spaulding Lean-to and Geraldine’s final location discovered October 14, 2015.
Map showing Appalachian Trail highlighting Poplar Ridge Lean-to, Spaulding Lean-to and Geraldine Largay’s final location discovered Oct. 14, 2015. (Map courtesy of the Maine Warden Service)

On the morning of Sunday, July 21, 2013 she departed from her husband at the Route 4 AT crossing in Sandy River Plantation near the town of Rangeley. Later that day, she texted her husband and advised she was on top of Saddleback Mountain. Geraldine Largay was last seen on the early morning of Monday, July 22 at Poplar Lean-to on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. She was planning to hike that day to Spaulding Lean-to in Redington Township, approximately eight miles to the north. On Tuesday, July 23, she had planned to continue hiking north from Spaulding Lean-to located in Mount Abram Township to meet her husband who was waiting for her at the Route 27 crossing. She never arrived at that location.

The Maine Warden Service wishes to thank the many law enforcement and EMS organizations, search and rescue volunteers, and local business owners who generously gave their time and resources.

“We consistently see the community spirit in Maine and this is another fine example of a community coming together to assist in helping a person and family in need,” MacDonald said.

The Largay family issued a statement: “We wish to thank all of those who gave their time and prayers while searching for our wife, sister, mother, and grandmother. We especially would like to thank the entire Maine Warden Service for their dedication to this case. It became apparent from day one that this was personal to them and they would not rest until Gerry was found. After all of the communication and information from everyone involved including the Medical Examiner’s Office, Navy, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office, these findings are conclusive in that no foul play was involved and that Gerry simply made a wrong turn shortly after crossing Orbeton Stream. Now that we know her death was an accident, we again ask all media for the respect of our privacy as we continue our grieving process with this new chapter of closure.”

On Oct. 15, 2015 searchers walk in a line looking for Largey's remains.
On Oct. 15, 2015 searchers walk in a line looking for Largey’s remains. (Warden Service photo)
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13 Comments

  1. Why am I finding this hard to believe? A through hiker has a compass, maps, lighter/matches, whistle. Am I the only skeptic that a seasoned, experienced hiker died of exposure and lack or food and water?

  2. As a veteran hiker, both AT and elsewhere, I have a few comments. Historically, Maine is considered the most rugged area of the AT. Next to Mahoosuc Notch and the “killer mile”, the AT that passes through the Western Mountains is brutal in sections. The trail is an obstacle course of steep slabs, trip-wire roots, and tooth-rattling descents. I felt like I would take five steps, then encounter a pile of shoulder-high boulders to climb over, then a vertical slab. A family member hiked the AT this past June in the approximate area that we now know Geraldine disappeared. Also a veteran hiker, she suddenly found herself off trail and within minutes, completely confused as to how to find it. The weather conditions were similar to the day Mrs. Largay vanished in that it had rained the previous day. Her satellite hand held (a Delorme InReach) couldn’t pick up a signal; she tried using the old stand by compass but it was confusing for like many hikers, she was dependent on technology (something she has since overcome by mastering a compass). The sun disappeared around 3pm as did the warmth. Fortunately she was carrying a full pack so had long layers to change into as well as a headlamp. Her 4 hr day hike turned into nearly 10 hours on the AT in the Saddleback region. She slowly worked her way backwards towards the access road where she initially entered. Later she told us she could hear Obreton Stream but was so hopelessly off trail that she felt her best option was to return to her starting point. She rightfully assumed that if we began to look for her we would enter where she had. We did go out and found her crossing a bog bridge; at that point she had located the “white blazes” and was back on trail. Point is even an experienced hiker can get off trail, especially in terrain that at times can be unforgiving. We also don’t know for certainty because of the passage of two years, but if Inchworm tumbled & struck her head it might have temporarily impaired her thought process. Once panic and hypothermia set in, mistakes are compounded.
    I am sorry for this tragedy and thankful her family has closure at least.

  3. always learning:

    This was an instance of several elements that combined became fatal. I don’t know the answers to all the questions, but I can find a rational explanation for all of them.
    Geraldine may or may not have had a map. Lots of through hikers tend to par down to only the barest essentials – anything to save weight. Perhaps she lost the map or it got wet.
    A compass isn’t much help if you have no idea where you are.
    Geraldine wasn’t the fittest, fastest hiker. Her nickname was inchworm. She was not a Boy Scout. It wasn’t the first time she got lost. And- that can happen easier than you might think.
    My guess is, she made a camp, but then needed water. She would have been concerned that if she wandered too far from the camp, she would get lost again, and be without her supplies.
    You can become dehydrated even in a rainstorm. In fact, it can happen even faster as hiking in rain gear you can overheat.
    I suspect that she had succumbed before the rain stopped, and therefor
    She was in an area without cell phone coverage. It’s a strange spot, because, not far away, there are cellphone towers on Sugarloaf, and others in the direction of Rangely, but right in there, it’s dead. The reception is not good until you get to the top of Spaulding Mt.
    It’s all the more sad, in that, had things been just a little but different, she would have been rescued. If she had backtracked back to the stream, if she had gone a little further to the navy buildings, if she had managed to get a fire going.

  4. i agree, it seems to me that if she was last seen by someone at the Poplar sight, by then she would have known she was in trouble, as far as lack of water and food, and asked for some assistance or made a call to her husband or reached out to someone…….it just doesn’t make any sense for an expirienced hiker to die OFF the trail
    !

  5. I agree. I hesitate to dispute the experts, but how could she have succumbed to lack of food and water and environmental exposure (July) in what appears to be such a short period of time.

  6. I rather expect that the naysayers will be re-launching their conspiracy theories soon (from a couch!)

    It is very easy to get somewhat disoriented (even experts) in the woods/mountains and in difficult and unfamiliar terrain

    The more experienced “travelers” probably practice the time tested practice of looking over their shoulders once and a while when unexpected “opps, where are we? happens and back on out (hopefully) to somewhere they recognize, others might just thrash around and get really lost!

    It doesn’t take much more than a stubbed toe/loose boot lace/slippery slab or rock to have the adventure get really interesting/scary

  7. I agree with those suggesting it is very easy to get disoriented once off trail. As most through hikers would agree, after weeks on the trail, you will have lost some body weight, and are almost constantly in a calorie deficit, and dropping additional weight day by day.

    As your calorie reserves disappear, so does your ability to keep your body warm. Body temp starts dropping with cool, wet weather, and your ability to make good decisions disappears. Miss a resupply and now you have no source for badly needed calories.

    Let me know of someone who has not fallen on a trail, and I will let you know of someone who doesn’t get out much..

  8. After reading everyone’s comments I still stand by the findings of the ME. Unless you’ve hiked the specific areas where Mrs. Largay was, during the same time frame and weather conditions, you can’t conclusively say it was anything but a tragedy. One half mile in that rugged and at times unforgiving terrain can seem like miles & miles. Not many hikers on the trail so blowing a whistle really not effective if no one to hear. Develop a good understanding of the old fashioned compass and I agree with Ms. Small – hike with a partner. At least in areas known for being an obstacle course of steep slabs, trip wire roots, steep rocky ascents and tooth rattling descents. Even in the initial search there were not enough physically fit ppl to traverse the area. Nature is beautiful folks but please stay safe while enjoying it.

  9. An experienced hiker? You would have to be hog tied and blindfolded to end up where she did. Up hill and away from water and the trails, any trail the AT or the ITS that runs through there. The multitudes of logging roads that criss cross the area. The number of people that use them during the summer months. The surrounding towns that lay at the end of them. The area on the map is quite steep and dense. Ground make up is loose sandy gravel and shale mixed with top soil it’s rather unstable. But even had she gone off trail to look at the pond, why not back track or use the dirt road that runs from the pond and crosses the AT. The area around the pond is wide open. Good views even at ground level. Getting lost in that area is harder than people think. But there is some picturesque views up there. I just can’t figure out, why there? What would make her be there? There is nothing there, there is the base but that’s all and it’s surrounded by a fence. From where she was she should have been able to tell where the pond was even though she might not be able to see it. So either she had help getting to where she was or she wasn’t as experienced as people say she was. I can’t say about all cell phones, but mine works in that area. Never had GPS problems either. But unlike many to that area, I am familiar with that area. Been using it for 30 years snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, ATVing. Glad the family got some answers.

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