CASART - 3rd Activation

ROCK LAKE SEARCH AND RESCUE
Herkimer County, NY 11/30/03

11/28/03 David Dupuis or subject, identified as a 42 year old male dressed in blue jeans, a cotton flannel shirt and wool jacket, was reported over due when he did not rejoin his two nephews after they had been out since about 12:00 noon hunting a ridge west of Rock Lake in Herkimer County, Town of Webb north of Stillwater Reservoir.  Forest Rangers and volunteers conducted Type I searches for the subject around Rock Lake and along drainages starting about 8:00p.m. and Forest Rangers continued the searches all night.

11/29/03 Forest Rangers and volunteers continued searching for the subject without success.

11/30/03 – 4:20a.m. Greg O’Hara was called by Forest Ranger Pete Evans and notified that DEC Forest Rangers needed four woods ready CASART members to report to the Incident Command Post at Whitney Headquarters on Little Tupper Lake at 8:00a.m. for Type I search duty. 

The following four (4) CASART members Ron Dearlove, Gary Lee, Nancy Langham and Greg O’Hara all committed to the search and met at 6:30a.m. to carpool to the IC arriving at 7:45a.m.  Ron Dearlove and Gary Lee were assigned to work at the IC and Greg O’Hara and Nancy Langham were assigned to conduct a Type I search at the northeast end of Stillwater Reservoir east of Falls Lake.  Mid morning, a note was found by searchers at a trail register on the north shore of Big Burnt Lake and a second note was found at the shelter at Trout Pond, both left by the subject Saturday morning 11/29/03 indicating he was lost, but would stay on the trail.  At about 3:30p.m. the subject was found deceased between Witchhopple Lake and Beaverdam Pond.  It appears the subject had traveled about four miles from the last know point southeast of Beaverdam Pond to Big Burnt Lake and then another four miles to the place where he was found one half a mile from the last know point.  The volunteer searcher who found the subject stayed with the body overnight until he could be brought out the next day. 

Summary:  Although we do not have the results of the autopsy, the subject was most likely the victim of hypothermia, having been exposed to rain on Friday, snow, below freezing temperatures and high wind on Saturday and Sunday.  He was wearing a pin on compass, but the compass appeared to be broken when the subject was found and he was not carrying matches, food or any equipment for outdoor survival.

To find out more about the team or to get a membership application write to CASART at P.O. Box 143, Inlet, NY 13360, call us at 315-357-4381, visit our web site at www.casart.org, or send email to webmaster@casart.org.

----------------------------

Note to Editors: Feel free to contact us for interviews or for further information. Thank you!