By: Richard L. Smith
A large multi-agency search for two missing senior citizens in Morris County ended with a 77-year-old man rescued alive and an 87-year-old woman found dead in a wooded area of Montville Township.
According to information released by Morris County authorities and additional details reported by ABC7 Eyewitness News, John Higgins, 77, and Virginia Taetzch, 87, had gone hiking at Pyramid Mountain on Sunday, August 30, at approximately 1 p.m.
The search began after authorities located an unattended vehicle in the Pyramid Mountain parking lot at approximately 10:15 p.m. Monday.
Police had considered Higgins and Taetzch “at-risk” and launched an extensive search involving numerous law enforcement and emergency response agencies.
ABC7 reported that Higgin was located alive Tuesday and transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment. The search continued for Taetzch, who was later located by officers and pronounced dead at the scene.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Sheriff James Gannon and Montville Township Police Chief Andrew Caggiano said in a statment released Tuesday that the investigation was being conducted off Stony Brook Road by the Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Morris County Sheriff’s Office and Montville Township Police Department.
Personnel from several surrounding police departments, the Montville Fire Department, Parsippany-Troy Hills EMS and St. Clare’s MICU also participated in the search and rescue operation.
Authorities have not announced what caused Taetzch’s death or disclosed the circumstances that left the two hikers stranded in the area.
The investigation remains active, and additional information is expected to be released by Morris County authorities.