Body Found Along NH River Likely Missing Westwood Hiker

BOSTON (CBS) – Fish and Game officials believe they have found the body of a Massachusetts woman who went missing while hiking in New Hampshire.

Clairemarie Cocuzzo, 64, of Westwood was reported missing when she did not return from a hike in White Mountain National Forest earlier this week.

Crews searched the area on Thursday but did not find her.

On Friday, a woman's body was found along the Gale River in Bethlehem, N.H.

Tests being performed on the woman's body will confirm her identity, but officials say she closely matches Cocuzzo's description.

Hikers in the area reported seeing Cocuzzo on September 29, indicating that she had arrived in the area a week earlier than previously thought.

"At that time, the state had received more than 30 inches of rain, and river crossings along hiking trails in the White Mountains had become treacherous," New Hampshire Fish and Game officials said. "It is believed that Cocuzzo was swept away while crossing the swollen Gale River."

Officials urged hikers to check weather and trail conditions before hiking this fall. More information is available at the Hike Safe website.