Sad Ending for a 78-Year-Old Maryland Hiker on Maine Mountain

The body of a 78-year-old woman was found over the weekend after she went missing while hiking Blueberry Mountain in Stow.

Barbara Goldberg of Potomac, Maryland said goodbye to her partner, Steven Plotkin, when he dropped her off at the mountain at around 9 AM Friday. She talked to him again at 11 AM, via walkie-talkie, saying that she was almost to the summit and expected to be back at Stone House Road Parking lot around noon. He went to the designated meeting spot but when she hadn't shown up by 2:30 PM Friday, called 911 and reported her missing.

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Maine Game Wardens began searching the area just after 3 PM Friday. They had people on the ground and a Warden Service airplane in the air. When they were unable to find her, they brought in volunteers from Maine Search and Rescue Dogs (MESARD); Saco Valley Fire Department; Lovell Fire Department; Fryeburg Fire Department; Fryeburg Rescue; Mahoosuc Search and Rescue; Center Conway Fire Department; and Denmark Fire Department.

A MESARD K9 finally located Barbara's walkie-talkie during the night, near a ledge that was close to the summit on Blueberry Mountain. Using her Ipad that her partner had retrieved during the night, Wardens were able to locate her iPhone coordinates, using the 'find phone' feature. After searching the rough terrain and strewn boulders at the base of the ledges, a MESARD volunteer recovered her body by calling her iPhone and following the faint sound of her phone. That was at about 3 AM Saturday.

Goldberg was found at the base of the ledges and was deceased. Her body was taken to Woods Funeral Home in Fryeburg, where she will be examined by the Chief Medical Examiner. Her death is not considered suspicious.

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