New Jersey briefs Monday, July 31, 2000
Wanaque man dies while hiking Appalachian Trail
An 18-year-old Wanaque man died while hiking the Appalachian Trail, and authorities were awaiting autopsy results to determine what killed him.
Gregory M. Lake of Snake Den Road was stricken atop a mountain in Salisbury, Conn., in the northwest corner of the state, on Friday. He reportedly had been struggling to breathe and fell unconscious.
Lake was hiking with his father and uncle about a mile south of Routes 112 and 7, authorities said. Shortly before 7 p.m., one of the men told a group of nearby campers that Lake was in trouble, according to a report filed by Troop B of the Connecticut State Police.
Using a cellular phone, the campers -- among them several emergency medical technicians -- told state troopers in Canaan that Lake was unresponsive and that cardiopulmonary resuscitation was under way, according to the police report.
The call brought a number of state troopers and rescue workers. Three emergency medical technicians who hiked a steep trail to reach the scene encountered a number of rattlesnakes, said Falls Village Fire Chief Curt Mechare.
Lake was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Phone calls placed to Lake's parents were not immediately returned Sunday.
The police report noted that Lake didn't appear to be physically injured. The case remains under investigation by the Connecticut Medical Examiner's Office and Connecticut State Police.
-- ELISE YOUNG
Live wire from utility pole damages car in Paterson
PATERSON -- A live wire that fell from a utility pole burned the front of a parked car Sunday before a utility crew arrived to shut off the electricity.
There were no injuries.
Firefighters responded to a report of wires down on Chatham Avenue shortly before noon.
Public Service Electric and Gas Co. was called after firefighters reported the burning wire was on the roof of an unoccupied, late-model Mercury Sable, Deputy Fire Chief Joseph Pellegrino said.
Firefighters were informed that a PSE&G crew was working in neighboring Clifton but could not get to Paterson right away, said Pellegrino. The crew arrived 35 minutes later, he said, but by then the front end of the car had been burned.
The wire was so hot that it burned the macadam and cement on a curb, Pellegrino added.
-- JUSTO BAUTISTA
Climber falls to his death near Delaware Water Gap
HARDWICK -- Rangers worked Sunday to recover the body of rock climber who fell to his death at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, officials said.
The victim, whose name was not released, apparently fell Saturday while climbing in the Mount Tammany area along Route 80, officials said.
Doyle Nelson, chief ranger at the recreation area, said it was not clear how far the man had fallen, but he added that climbers often scale rock faces up to several hundred feet.
Rescue crews were forced to go on foot during the steep climb to recover the body.
The man was climbing with a partner. The partner was interviewed by state police at the Hope barracks Saturday.
-- FROM STAFF AND NEWS SERVICE REPORTS
Copyright © 2000 Bergen Record Corp.
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