Missing Vermont woman found dead in Huntington River after apparent accident

A Vermont woman who had been reported missing was found dead Saturday after apparently slipping and falling into the Huntington River, according to Vermont State Police.

Katie Hartnett, 25, of Burlington, Vt. was first reported missing last Friday. Late that night, police received a call about a vehicle that had been parked on Dugway Road for hours. Hartnett had not been seen since 1 p.m. that day. Police said at the time that her disappearance did not seem suspicious. 

A Vermont Air National Guard helicopter located Hartnett’s body around noon on Saturday in the Huntington River near 1498 Dugway Road in Richmond, Vt. Rescue teams took an hour to recover her body, which was then taken to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy. 

Hartnett was visiting the river upstream of Huntington Gorge Friday afternoon when she slipped and fell into the water, police said. 

Although Huntington Gorge can be a beautiful swimming hole and fishing spot, it “can also be a dangerous, raging torrent when the water is high,” according to the Vermont River Conservancy. The organization warns visitors to be extremely cautious, as the steep cliffs and rushing waters have claimed the lives of more than two dozen people. 

A sign posted at the gorge warns visitors of the dangers there and pays tribute to some of the people that died. It is purported to be the “deadliest swimming hole in New England.”

Vermont was hit with torrential rains and heavy flooding early last week. Vermont officials warned residents last Wednesday that rivers remained very high and posed a continued threat throughout the state. 

The efforts to recover Hartnett’s body involved a swift-water rescue team from Buncombe County, N.C. that was in Vermont because of the flooding, police said. 

An investigation is ongoing. 

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