Motorcycle Crash – Hamilton County

On May 29, ECO Newell and Trooper Nauroth responded to reports of a motorcycle accident south of Speculator. The Officers found the victim had incurred severe trauma to one of her legs, including lacerations and compound fractures. Officers Newell and Nauroth administered first aid while coordinating with Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch for EMS response and LifeNet Helicopter services.

Wells EMS and ambulance service, GAVAC, arrived on scene and transported the subject to Speculator. DEC Forest Ranger Snye, along with the Speculator Fire Department and Hamilton County Deputies, created a landing zone for the LifeNet helicopter while also assisting with a brush fire that began across the street from the landing zone. The coordination between agencies led to expedient medical care and transportation of the subject from Speculator to Albany Medical Center.

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Routine Patrol Results in Multi-Agency Arrest – Washington County
On April 12, while patrolling a public parking area commonly used by anglers to access the Champlain Canal, ECO Thibodeau observed two individuals acting suspiciously in a vehicle. He began a preliminary investigation and then contacted the Washington County Sherriff’s Department for assistance.

Officers later arrested the subjects for outstanding warrants and searched the vehicle where they found drugs and drug paraphernalia.

A lock box inside the car also contained more controlled substances. Both subjects are facing drug possession charges and one of the individuals, wanted on a federal warrant, was turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation after being processed on the state charges.

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Moose Recovery – Adirondacks
On April 6, ECOs Favreau and Fadden assisted DEC Wildlife employees with the extraction of a dead yearling moose from a heavily forested area in the Adirondacks. DEC had fitted the moose with a GPS collar in 2022. The collar recently gave off a signal indicating the animal was no longer alive. The Officers and Wildlife employees managed to get within 500 yards of the moose carcass by snowmobile and UTV before hiking the remaining distance through two to three feet of snow. Once they reached the moose, the group loaded the animal onto a sled and pulled it back to the snowmobiles. The recovered animal was sent to DEC‘s wildlife pathology laboratory in Delmar for a full necropsy.

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Little Bear Gets a Second Chance – Herkimer County
On Jan. 31, ECO Howe responded to a complaint of a black bear cub lingering around a residence in the town of Salisbury. The resident reported the young bear had been in the area for five days with no signs of its mother. The cub appeared malnourished and unlikely to survive on its own. Officer Howe safely captured the bear and transported it to Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center in Hunter, a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center, where it will receive care and treatment until it can be released back into the wild.

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State.

In 2021, 282 Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responded to 26,207 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 11,562 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

Plane Crash – Fulton County
On Oct. 9, ECO Pasciak responded along with first responders to a small plane crash on the Great Sacandaga Lake in the town of Northampton. Fortunately, the pilot and two passengers survived the crash, and only one passenger required medical attention. The pilot advised that a crosswind caused the plane to crash and flip upside down, just slightly above water during an attempted takeoff from a sandbar.

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Sunbaked Rattlesnake – Warren County
On Aug. 7, ECO Krug responded to Turtle Island in Lake George to remove an unwanted guest from a campsite. Using the appropriate tools, Officer Krug removed a rattlesnake sunning itself near the shoreline. Turtle Island is a popular spot for rattlesnakes from nearby Tongue Mountain. ECOs respond to similar calls to the island several times a year. Based on its painted tail, Officer Krug determined the rattlesnake had been picked up in the past. He turned the snake over to a research assistant working with a professor at Skidmore College studying the local rattlesnake population. The students collect data from the snake and then release it further away from potential human contact.

Officer Krug with rattlesnake. DEC photo.

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement enforces the 71 chapters of New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York. In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors proudly began serving to protect the natural resources and people of New York State.

In 2021, 282 Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responded to 26,207 calls and worked on cases that resulted in 11,562 tickets or arrests for violations ranging from deer poaching to solid waste dumping, illegal mining, the black market pet trade, and excessive emissions violations.

» Continue Reading.