Railwayman, 59, plunges 300ft to his death while taking photos with wife during Saturday hike

A steam train engineer who fell 300 feet to his death while taking phots with his wife atop a scenic mountain in New Hampshire has been pictured. 

Joe ‘Eggy’ Eggleston, 59, was hiking Mount Willard in Crawford Notch late Saturday morning with his wife, Kelly, 57, when tragedy struck.

They had just reached the summit and were taking pictures of the views around them when Kelly ‘heard her husband yell’ and noticed he was dangling off the edge of the mountain, New Hampshire Fish and Game officials say.

Kelly called 911 at around 10.30am, but Mountain Rescue Service technicians had to navigate icy conditions, and were only able to rappel down the face of the cliff about three hours later, the Miami Herald reports. 

They finally found Eggleston at around 2.30pm and pronounced him dead on the scene, saying he fell 300 feet to the ground. It then took several more hours for crews to lift his body and carry it to the trailhead parking lot, according to USA Today. 

Joe ‘Eggy’ Eggleston, 59, died Saturday morning while hiking Mount Willard in Crawford Notch

Authorities say he and his wife, Kelly, (pictured), just reached the summit and started taking pictures when she heard him yell and saw that he was starting to fall

Eggleston’s death comes just one month after a 19-year-old was found frozen to death at another New Hampshire summit as she tried to complete her goal of climbing all 48 peaks in the state.  

Eggleston had worked as a steam engineer for the Mount Washington Cog Railway, onboard a 1908 coal-powered train that trekked the Mount Washington summit to offer tourists views of the largest mountain east of the Mississippi, according to the Yankee Magazine.

That mountain in itself is known for being dangerous, with surface winds up to 231mph and temperatures dipping to nearly 50 below zero. 

But his friends and co-workers say he loved his job, and always did it with a smile on his face. They paid glowing tributes to their friend and spoke of their distress at hearing of his sudden and tragic death. 

‘A tragic loss of a great man and a true Cogger. RIP to Joe “Eggy” Eggleton,’ Andy Vanguard wrote, posting several pictures of the adventurer at work.

Mountain Rescue Service technicians were only able to rappel down the face of the cliff about three hours after Kelly first called 911

Crews finally found his body at around 2.30pm and pronounced him dead on the scene

‘Eggy’s warm smile and passion for what he did will always be remembered by those he touched,’ he continued. ‘I’m honored to have shared a cab with him.

‘His home will always be in the mountains he loved,’ Vanguard concluded. ‘That whistle will forever echo off those peaks for you.’ 

Denise Biguin later commented: ‘Mornings at work will never be the same. I was always greeted by that bright smile he shared with everyone.

‘It was an honor to have known such a wonderful person.’ 

Eggleston had worked as a steam engineer for the Mount Washington Cog Railway, onboard a 1908 coal-powered locomotive called the Waumbek

Coworkers have shared online how he loved his job and always had a smile on

Andy Vanguard said in a tribute on Facebook that Eggy’s home will always be in the mountains he trekked daily onboard the steam locomotive

Mount Willard is typically considered a short and rewarding hike that is a ‘prime destination for inexperienced, new or even seasoned hikers,’ according to outdoor website Hiking and Fishing.

The mountain is located about 2,865 feet above sea level and is part of Crawford Notch, a nearly 5,800 acre state park that boasts hiking trails, waterfalls, wildlife and ‘spectacular mountain views.’

It is located about 96 miles northeast of Concord.