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SavageLlama
06-29-2005, 22:53
Now this is just crazy.


Hiker injured, corpse found in separate incidents
Associated Press
June 28, 2005

DELAWARE WATER GAP, Pa. -A hiker was severely injured in a fall and a Pen Argyl man hiking with his children found a corpse Sunday in and around the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

In the first incident, Greg Kane, 21, of Doylestown, lost his grip while climbing a rock. Kane was rescued by a helicopter and National Park Service high-altitude rescue team. In the course of the rescue, two firefighters became lost. A rescue official said Kane suffered a stomach puncture, head wound and broken bones.

In the second incident, Troy Leighton of Pen Argyl and his three children reported finding a dead body in the woods near the entrance to the Appalachian Trail just outside the recreation area's boundary. Police were investigating whether the body was that of a Bangor-area man who had been missing for a week.

# # #
Hiking trail victim from Bangor
Coroner concludes death was a suicide.
By RUSS FLANAGAN
The Express-Times
June 29, 2005

U. MT. BETHEL TWP. -- Authorities identified the body of a 52-year-old man found Sunday by a group of hikers along the Appalachian Trail as Ahto Truuts, of Bangor.

Police said Truuts was last seen about 1 p.m. Wednesday when he told his wife, Kathleen, he was going to the store. Truuts then entered his vehicle and drove off but never returned to his home in the 500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. He was reported missing Friday.

Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said Truuts died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and ruled the manner of death a suicide. Lysek said Truuts died between Wednesday and Sunday but did not say how long his body had been in the woods.
Truuts' body was found about 6 p.m. by hikers, who noticed the remains about 30 feet off a hiking trail. Police said the body was about 150 feet from the trail entrance off Route 191, just south of the Monroe County border.

A red Ford Ranger pickup truck was parked outside the trail entrance near where Truuts' body was found but police did not say if the vehicle belonged to him.

Truuts was born in 1953 in Estonia and was employed as a carpenter at Lane Construction in Denville, N.J. He was a graduate of the County College of Morris in Randolph, N.J., and later served in the Navy.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Bangor.

In addition to his wife, Truuts is survived by a son, Kalev of Bangor; and a sister, Syria Geddis, and her husband, Thomas, of Great Meadows, N.J.

A Memorial Service will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Great Shepherd Christian Fellowship Church, 975 Benders Church Road, Pen Argyl.

ARambler
06-30-2005, 06:45
On Memeorial Day weekend, a 73 year old section hiker was air lifted to the hospital with a ruptured intestine. I saw his partner but forget which shelter exactly. They were one or two south of DWG. Any word if he survived?

Rambler

A-Train
06-30-2005, 10:25
Hadn't heard anything about that Rambler, but I'll try to give you an update. Lots of incidents this weekend at the DWG area. There was a mysterious seach and rescue for a rock climber on the NJ side of the Delware who had supposedly placed a 911 call saying his rope broke, but when they traced the call, the kid who owned the cell phone had been home all day.

Then there was an almost drowning by a woman this weekend while paddling on the river. Had to have CPR done and she was rushed to the hospital.

As far as the suicide goes, well there still wasn't a whole lot of clues and info about the guys motive, etc. It was 150 ft or so from the Fox Gap/rt 191 parking area to the AT. So hopefully it won't go down as an AT incident or death.

It's been quite the active summer in the area, seeing as there was already a suicide in May on Sunrise Mtn on the AT