MONTVILLE, NJ — A search for two missing seniors in Montville ended Tuesday with different outcomes for each hiker. Police found 77-year-old John Higgins alive and transported him to Morristown Memorial Hospital. Officers later located 87-year-old Virginia Taetzch and pronounced her dead at the scene.
The pair had last been seen on a hike at Pyramid Mountain, and investigators spent two days piecing together where they went. Morris County Sheriff James Gannon said the operation saved one life but ended in the recovery of a deceased person. Authorities have not said what caused Taetzch’s death.
Unattended vehicle in Pyramid Mountain parking lot sparked the missing persons search
The case began Monday night after police found an unattended vehicle in the parking lot of Pyramid Mountain around 10:15 p.m. That discovery raised concern that the two seniors had not returned from the woods.
Investigators later determined that Higgins and Taetzch had gone hiking there the previous day, Sunday, around 1 p.m. The timeline gave police a starting point for the search and helped focus the response on the mountain area.
Once officers connected the car to the missing hikers, the effort shifted from a simple welfare check to a coordinated search. The wooded terrain and the overnight delay made the situation more urgent. By Tuesday, authorities had brought in a wider operation to cover more ground.
Multi-agency teams expanded the search on Tuesday
Authorities described Tuesday’s effort as a more comprehensive search of the area. Multiple agencies joined the operation to help cover Pyramid Mountain and surrounding terrain. The goal was to locate both hikers as quickly as possible.
That wider response led officers to Higgins first. He was found alive and taken by ambulance to Morristown Memorial Hospital, where he received medical care. Officials did not immediately provide details on his condition beyond confirming that he survived the search.
The rescue gave the operation a rare positive outcome. Even so, crews continued looking for Taetzch after Higgins was found, knowing the second hiker was still unaccounted for in the same area.
Taetzch was found dead at the scene after officers kept searching
Searchers later located Taetzch and pronounced her dead at the scene. Authorities did not say exactly where on Pyramid Mountain she was found, only that officers reached her during the expanded search.
The death closed the active search but left investigators with unanswered questions. Morris County officials have not released a cause of death, and it remains unclear whether medical issues, environmental conditions or another factor played a role.
The contrast between the two outcomes underscored how quickly a hiking incident can turn serious for older adults. Officials have not identified any additional people involved, and no other injuries were reported in connection with the search.
Sheriff Gannon praised crews while offering condolences to the families
In a statement, Morris County Sheriff James Gannon said the multi-agency search and rescue operation “successfully saved one life” while also recovering a deceased individual. He said his office extends its deepest condolences and prayers to both families during what he called a difficult time.
Gannon also thanked the agencies that took part in the search and credited them for their dedicated efforts. His comments reflected the split outcome of a case that began as a missing-person emergency and ended with one senior surviving and the other dead.
The sheriff’s statement did not add new details about the investigation. It did, however, make clear that the operation depended on cooperation between several public-safety teams working the same terrain and the same time-sensitive search.
Questions remain about how the hike turned deadly
Authorities have not said how long Higgins and Taetzch were missing before police found the vehicle or how far they may have traveled on the trail. Those details could help explain how the search unfolded, but investigators have not released them.
The exact cause of Taetzch’s death also remains unknown. Until officials provide more information, the sequence is limited to the facts confirmed by police: a hike on Sunday, an abandoned car on Monday night, and a search on Tuesday that found both seniors.
For now, the case stands as a reminder of how a routine outing can end in tragedy. It also shows the value of rapid response when missing-person cases involve older adults and rugged outdoor areas.
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