(Photo by JEFFREY HASTINGS) Members of a rescue team secure ropes to descend an icy cliff to recover the body of a man who had fallen off the cliff at the summit of Mt. Willard on Saturday.

HARTS LOCATION — An as-yet unidentified man died from injuries sustained when he fell several hundred feet off of a steep cliff while he and his wife were taking photos Saturday morning at the summit of Mt. Willard.

The couple had hiked up the mountain, and shortly after reaching the summit, which is known for its excellent, panoramic views of Crawford Notch and its surrounds, they began snapping some photos, according to state Fish & Game Department officials.

At some point the victim’s wife heard him call out, and turned to see him slide over the edge of the cliff, officials said, adding that the steep terrain was icy at the time.

The wife, who also has not yet been identified, promptly called 911, officials said.

Numerous emergency personnel responded to the call, joining Fish & Game conservation officers and the Mountain Rescue Service, an all-volunteer team of guides and experienced hikers and skiers trained in specialized technical rescue operations.

Rescuers located the man’s body around 2:30 p.m., officials said. He was found on the face of a cliff roughly 300 feet below the summit.

Due to icy conditions, MRS technicians set up a rappelling operation to allow rescuers to descend to the spot where the man’s body was located.

Once his body was secured to rescue apparatus, personnel raised him to the Mt. Willard summit. From there, a team of volunteers carried him to the trailhead parking area, arriving there at about 6:45 p.m., officials said.

Material reported by The Associated Press was used in this story.

–JEFFREY HASTINGS