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The incident began around 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, when state Forest Rangers Mark Brand, Kenneth Gierloff, and Christine Nelson responded to a search for a missing 50-year-old male in Platte Clove.
Based on the information provided by a friend, the unidentified man was dropped off on Platte Clove Road and planned to hike down to the Plattekill Creek, camp, and then hike through to meet a friend at Saugerties Bridge on Becker Road, officials with the Department of Environmental Conservation said on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Using the information, the rangers began a search of Plattekill Creek. At 7:33 p.m., they located the hiker deceased in the town of Hunter approximately 1.25 miles upstream from Becker Road, DEC officials said.
After finding the man deceased, the rangers contacted state police and DEC's Bureau of Environmental Crime Investigations.
On Monday, Oct. 7 at 6 a.m., state police and rangers began investigating the scene and recovering the subject.
A technical rope system was set up on Platte Clove Road and involved multiple high and steep angle rope systems approximately 700 feet high were required, officials said.
With the help of 17 rangers, the man was recovered and turned over to the coroner for an autopsy.
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