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Kayaker Drowns on Holiday Weekend
6 Jul
Summary
- A 56-year-old kayaker drowned while fishing on July 4th.
- His overturned kayak was found partially submerged near shore.
- An investigation is ongoing to determine what caused the capsize.
Tragedy struck on the Independence Day weekend as a kayaker drowned at a Sullivan County campground. State Police responded to a report of an overturned kayak at Mongaup Pond Campground on Saturday, July 4th, around 8:45 p.m. The missing kayaker, identified as 56-year-old Scott N. Meyer of Pine Island, had reportedly left his campsite earlier that afternoon for a fishing trip.
A bystander discovered Meyer's kayak partially submerged about ten feet from the shore around 7 p.m. An extensive search commenced Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning. Meyer's body was eventually recovered by the Sullivan County Dive Team on Sunday from approximately 14 feet of water near the location where he was last seen.
Mongaup Pond Campground, operated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, is situated in the Catskill Park. The pond itself is the largest natural body of water in the Catskills, excluding New York City's reservoir system. While initial findings suggest drowning as the preliminary cause of death with no signs of foul play, the investigation into what caused the kayak to overturn remains ongoing.
