Man’s body recovered below Hawk’s Nest

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SPARROWBUSH – The body of a man was recovered from a steep area below the Hawk’s Nest off Route 97 in Sparrowbush just before noon on Tuesday, August 24.

The missing individual, reported by several on scene to be a veteran, left his motorcycle, personal effects, boots and other clothing items along a wall at the top of the Hawk’s Nest.  Motorists who had been parked at another nearby pull-off spot last evening reported hearing a noise just before 8:30 p.m., and placed a call for help.  This brought emergency responders from Sparrowbush, Port Jervis, and Lumberland Fire Department, Orange County’s Tech Rescue Team, Town of Deerpark and New York State Police to the scene, where they continued to search until early morning hours of Tuesday.

State Police deployed a helicopter and drones, and Orange County’s Tech Rescue Team and firefighters deployed members of a high angle rope team to search the steep, rocky wooded terrain below the Hawk’s Nest wall.

With no witnesses to confirm that someone had actually gone over the wall, and with no signs below, the search was called off in very heavy fog conditions and resumed on Tuesday morning.

video (c) MHNN

Several boat rescue teams were among those patrolling the shores on the New York side of the Delaware River, along the Hawk’s Nest.  A team of searchers then went ashore from the boats, and a recovery was made just before noon. The individual’s body was taken to a nearby shore by the boat teams.

Further information has not been released by officials, but family members who had kept a vigil near the scene confirmed that the individual, a young man, was a veteran who had served 18-years in the military, including in Iraq.  It was stated by the individual’s sister that her brother had graduated from Delaware Valley School District and was from the Dingman’s Ferry area.  A United States flag was aboard the boat that transported the recovered individual.

The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information to be released when available.




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