A Vermont woman who was reported missing late Friday was found dead the following day in the Huntington River, and an investigation by police has revealed the 25-year-old may have accidentally fell in the water.
Vermont State Police began investigating the disappearance of Katie Hartnett, of Burlington, after they received a call around 9:23 p.m. Friday about a vehicle that had been parked on the side of Dugway roadway in the town of Richmond for hours.
An investigation determined the vehicle's owner, Hartnett, had not been seen since 1 p.m., police said. Hartnett's family, friends and police were unsuccessful in trying to contact or locate her but said her disappearance did not seem to be suspicious in any nature.
On Saturday, a Vermont Air National Guard helicopter crew located Hartnett's body in the river adjacent to 1498 Dugway Road. It took about an hour for technical rescue teams to recover her body, which was then taken to the chief medical examiner's office for an autopsy to confirm the cause and manner of death.
A preliminary investigation indicates that Hartnett was visiting the river upstream of the Huntington Gorge on Friday afternoon when she slipped and fell into the water.
About 40 people were involved in the search and recovery operation for Hartnett, including a swift-water rescue team from North Carolina that was in Vermont following last week's widespread flooding.
An investigation into Hartnett's death is ongoing. No other information was available Sunday.
