Tufts Doctor Killed By Falling Ice While Hiking White Mountains

BOSTON (CBS) – A Tufts Medical Center doctor died after an accident during a hiking trip with her family in New Hampshire's White Mountains, the hospital confirms.

Dr. Judith Pinsker was struck by ice that fell off Frankenstein Cliff in the Crawford Notch area on Sunday.

Witnesses described the group effort to rescue Pinsker.

"I left where she was to get down to south coverage to call 911, an ambulance, and a helicopter," mountain rescue Joe Klementovich said.

Klementovich says Pinsker had serious injuries and was unconscious as they carried her on a stretcher.

"She had severe head injury and severe loss of blood and there was a doctor on scene providing not CPR, but rescue breathing," Klementovich said.

Pinsker was a primary care physician at Tufts Medical Center for over 20 years. She lived in Wellesley with her husband and children.

"There are no words at times like these. We will be keeping Dr. Pinsker and her family in our thoughts this holiday season," the hospital said in a statement.

Klementovich, who is an experienced climber, says the rain and warm weather leading up to the weekend may have created the conditions that led the ice to melt.

"Not a freak accident. An unfortunate one for sure," he said.