Carolyn Sanger's Children Witnessed Her Death During a Family Hiking Trip — What Happened?

Although the name sounds very haunting and sinister, Purgatory Chasm State Reservation in Sutton, Mass. is a stunning area to visit. In the History of the town of Sutton, Massachusetts, from 1704 to 1876, W.A. Benedict and H.A. Tracey described it as a "stupendous place," and said it "fills the mind of the beholder with exalted ideas of the infinite power of the great Creator of all things." That's a pretty good review.

The chasm itself is roughly a quarter mile long and in some places has stone walls that reach as high as 70 feet. Much of the floor is covered in large boulders, which can be extremely dangerous. According to legend, the name stems from a story of an Algonquin woman who was punished by the Native American god Hobomoko after she murdered a white colonial settler. Unfortunately, very real deaths have happened there, including that of a mother of four named Carolyn Sanger.

On April 23, 2025, the Sutton Police Department received a call about a woman who had fallen into Purgatory Chasm. Carolyn, a 49-year-old mother of four, was hiking with three of her children when she plummeted 50-75 feet off the trail. The family had driven to the reservation from Topsfield, Mass. Although there were medical professionals nearby, they were unable to provide immediate medical attention.

Carolyn "succumbed to the injuries sustained during the fall, and was pronounced deceased a short time later," per the statement by Sutton Police. While authorities are investigating the circumstances of Carolyn's death, they believe it was an accident. Out of respect for Carolyn's family, the police were not providing any more information.

A friend of the Sanger family has set up a GoFundMe to help them navigate the "uncertain financial times" they now face following Carolyn's death. In it, Carolyn is described as a "bright light" and a "wonderful, selfless mother who has raised four incredible, respectful, responsible kids."

Carolyn was an oncology nurse for most of her career before she left to pursue a lifelong dream of opening her own wellness center. She had just opened Balanced Body, which offered massage therapy, Reiki, Thai Bodywork, A.R.T., esthetics, yoga, and workshops. The creator of the GoFundMe said Carolyn was a "friend to all" whose "smile and kind spirit will be greatly missed."

Her husband of nearly 20 years told WCVB that she was the "brightness and the light on a dark day for a lot of people." The couple met in college, fell in love, got married, and had four children together. Michael Sanger credits his wife for saving his life after he survived a sniper's bullet in Iraq. "I had some really dark days and she helped me get into therapy," he said. "It's not an exaggeration to say that she saved my life." He also urged people to hug their kids and tell the people you love that you love them.