Local News

Tributes pour in for Topsfield mother who died in hiking incident

A fundraiser for the woman's family had raised over $100,000 as of Friday.

The Sanger family of Topsfield. GoFundMe

April 25, 2025

2 minutes to read

A local community remains in mourning after a mother of four from Topsfield died while hiking at the Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton on Wednesday.

Carolyn Sanger, 49, was hiking with her family when tragedy struck. Sanger fell roughly 50 to 75 feet in the Purgatory Chasm and was pronounced deceased shortly after, according to authorities.

An investigation is still ongoing, but officials say the incident appears to have been accidental.

A fundraiser for the Sanger family had raised upwards of $100,000 as of Friday. Money raised will “go directly to helping the family navigate these uncertain financial times,” according to the GoFundMe page.

“For those that knew Carrie, know that she was a bright light; a wonderful, selfless mother who has raised four incredible, respectful, responsible kids. She was a friend to all and her smile and kind spirit will be greatly missed,” the fundraiser reads. “She passed too early — but she left the earth doing what she loved, with the ones she loved.”

The fundraiser has been circulating on Facebook, with one user reposting it, writing that Sanger was a “pillar of our Topsfield community.”

The Topsfield Fire Department also posted about the fundraiser, urging people to donate to the family during this “unimaginable time.”

Family and friends are remembering Carolyn Sanger, 49, of Topsfield. – Courtesy of Tim Paoli

Sanger had recently left her career as an oncology nurse to “pursue her passion for wellness,” purchasing a building and transforming it into Balanced Body in Topsfield.

“She started practicing at local establishments and realized the work was much more than a hobby,” Sanger’s bio on the website reads.

The wellness center’s grand opening celebration was scheduled for next month.

“She was finally able to find her dream and start her own business,” Sanger’s husband, Mike, told 7News.

“We were best friends, first and foremost,” Mike Sanger told the station. “She was just always a bright light, she was the brightness and the light on a dark day.”

Tim Paoli, the family ‘s spokesperson, said Sanger is the “definition of a beautiful soul.”

“She is the type of person that in town, she always wanted to help people,” Paoli told the news outlet. “She was a wonderful mother.”