MONTICELLO – A day after the bodies of 63-year-old Viktor Nikitin and his 70-year-old wife Svetlana Nikitin were recovered in a pond on Hutrat Road between Loch Sheldrake and Woodbourne on Tuesday afternoon, Sullivan County Undersheriff Eric Chaboty stressed the need for people to exercise caution when venturing out.
Mr. and Mrs. Nikitin had gone ice fishing on a pond at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Monday. Their daughter called the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office on Monday evening to report that she had not heard from her parents. An extensive search of the area during a substantial snowstorm was conducted by deputies and other police agencies. Eventually, the couple was recovered in a pond they had gone fishing on. First responders were unable to reach the couple due to the very thin ice, resulting in the State Police Dive Team conducting a specialized recovery operation. The full Mid-Hudson News account of the search and recovery operation can be found here.
Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff, speaking of the tragedy said “The cooperative effort of all agencies brought this tragic event to a timely conclusion despite the extreme weather conditions.” The sheriff also issued a reminder, saying “We have had a stretch of warm weather and the ice on our lakes and ponds is not thick,” adding “Use extreme caution and always let someone know where you are going.”
In an interview with Mid-Hudson News, Undersheriff Chaboty said Whether you are ice fishing or skating or doing any type of activity out on the ice, you really need to use extreme caution,” adding “The ice is not as thick as you may think it is.” Mr. and Mrs. Nikitin had fortunately told their daughter who resides in New York City that they were going ice fishing. Unfortunately, they did not provide her with a specific location, which extended the amount of area that needed to be searched. “In the woods or on the ice, always let someone know where you are going so they can find you if there is a problem,” said Chaboty.
Video interview with Undersheriff Chaboty and a portion of Tuesday’s recovery operation:
