Missing Hiker Located Deceased in Lincoln

CONTACT:
CO Sergeant Christopher McKee
603-744-5470
603-271-3361
April 22, 2026

Lincoln, NH – On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at approximately 8:45 a.m., the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department was notified of an overdue hiker in Franconia Notch. The information provided was that Kent Wood, 61, of West Roxbury, Massachusetts, had driven to the Lafayette Campground in Lincoln on Friday April 17 to camp and hike for the weekend. He started hiking on Saturday morning, April 18, with warm temperatures and clear skies. The last contact family or friends had with Wood was on Saturday afternoon.

After 2 days of not hearing from Wood, his family became concerned and called to notify New Hampshire Fish and Game of the overdue hiker on Tuesday, April 21. While gathering information on where to search, rescuers learned that the Wood was prepared for warmer conditions and not the 3–5 inches of snow that had fallen between Sunday and Monday in the Franconia Notch area.

A search effort was started on Tuesday morning to locate him. Search teams from New Hampshire Fish and Game, PEMI Valley Search and Rescue, and the Army National Guard Helicopter Team were deployed to search in and around the Lonesome Lake and Kinsman Pond area.

At 7:41 p.m., Conservation Officers located the hiker deceased 5.5 miles from his vehicle on a remote section of the Kinsman Pond Trail in Lincoln. Rescuers then carried him out to the trailhead, arriving at 1:10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 22.

New Hampshire Fish and Game would like to remind hikers that it is still winter in the mountains with deep snow, precipitation, and freezing temperatures.