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Melissa Bagley, a 44-year-old woman married to Everett police lieutenant Sean Bagley, died on Tuesday, Aug. 15 while hiking the Franconia Falls in Lincoln, New Hampshire with her family and a friend, according to the NH Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division and Operation Game Thief and the Everett Police Department.
The Bagley family of five, plus a friend, began their fateful journey at the Lincoln Woods trailhead around 1 p.m. on Tuesday. They made it to the falls and were getting ready to swim when one of the children slipped and fell into a pool of fast, circulating water.
Melissa lept to the rescue but immediately began to struggle herself.
Two other children jumped into the water to help the struggling brother and mother. In the process, another child was trapped in between boulders.
Sean found Melissa on a rock and began CPR, but could not revive her. He pulled his child to safety shortly after and then returned to his wife to wait for emergency responders to arrive.
First responders were notified of a problem around 4 p.m. when someone sent an SOS text to 911 saying that someone was trapped and multiple people were involved. Another text sent a few minutes later mentioned a possible drowning.
The Lincoln Fire Department and Conservation Officers responded on a UTV and ATVs. As they made their way down the three-and-a-half mile trail to the falls, another hiker ran out to the trailhead to ask for help and told rescue workers more details about the incident.
First responders found two people suffering from non-life-threatening injuries and the deceased mother. The injured people were taken to the trailhead and then to Littleton Regional Healthcare for treatment.
Melissa's body was taken to the trailhead as well and picked up by Mayhew Funeral Home.
The Lincoln Police Department and the New Hampshire DOS Marine Patrol also responded.
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