Body of 67-year-old hiker recovered from Monument Mountain

The body of a hiker who was injured while climbing Monument Mountain in Great Barrington was recovered Friday, officials said.

Great Barrington Chief of Police Charles Burger said in a statement that the body of 67-year-old Joan Sussman of Ashley Falls was recovered after an eight-hour search.

The operation began as a rescue when the Great Barrington Fire Department and Southern Berkshire Ambulance were dispatched Friday evening after Sussman reported that she was injured at the top of the mountain.

GPS information showed Sussman’s last location as Squaw Peak, the 1,642-foot summit of Monument Mountain, but the call was dropped, officials said.

Sussman was found at 10 p.m. on a rock cropping, an exposed area of bedrock, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

“This is an extremely unfortunate situation. On behalf of the entire community and the Great Barrington Fire Department, I offer my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the victim,” Burger said in a statement.

Sussman was described by family members as a frequent climber who regularly hiked Monument Mountain. Authorities did not give specifics on Sussman’s injuries or what caused her death.