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Wayne Lamicela Found after missing for days

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 12:15 pm
by mike
On Tuesday, August 1, 2017 Wayne Lamicela (60 years old) from Middletown parked at the Seager Parking Lot to hike in the Big Indian Wilderness. Lamicela had recently moved to the area from Rochester NY region where he had worked as an Engineer. The Big Indian Wilderness is a 33,500 acre wilderness located on the NYS Public Property. Additionally there are thousands of acres of forest owned by private property owns adjacent to the NYS public land. Around 6:30pm that day, Lamicela called 911 to state that he was lost and needed help. After the DEC could not locate him, a large Search and Rescue with over 50 people was started to look for him. SAR from multiple states, NYS Police helicopter, local fire departments, DEC Rangers, and local hikers all participated in trying to find him. He was found on Saturday August 5, 2017 by the care taker to the Gould Property, which owns DoubleTop and Graham Mountains. The care taker found him barefoot and sore while patrolling the property. He was able to escort the hiker down to the end of Hiram Todd Road. The DEC was called and he was transported to Margaretville Community Hospital where he stayed overnight. We wish Wayne a speedy recovery.

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DEC Press Release #1: http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/110965.html

DEC Press Release #2: Search for Wayne Lamicela

On Saturday, at approximately 1pm, a caretaker for private property located Mr. Lamicela, in a wooded area, while checking on the property. Mr. Lamicela was barefoot but still mobile and able to walk on his own power with the assistance of the reporting party who helped him to the end of the Hiram Todd Rd. There, a DEC Forest Ranger was able to positively identify Mr. Lamicela and assist with the final evacuation to a waiting ambulance. Mr. Lamicela was evaluated by the ambulance crew and transported to the Margaretville Community Hospital for further evaluation and monitoring where he remains at the time of this report.

Crews are currently still returning from their assignments in the field, it is anticipated that it will be several hours before all units are clear and back to the staging area. DEC thanks all emergency responders who aided in the successful search for Mr. Lamicela.

Re: Wayne Lamicela Found after missing for days

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 3:05 pm
by dundee
Barefoot? I wonder how that happened.

Re: Wayne Lamicela Found after missing for days

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:19 pm
by mtnclimber
I was thinking the same thing. I might understand loosing one shoe, but both seems strange. The only thing I can think of is that he took them off while sitting on a ledge, and they fell off the ledge. There are a lot of nettles in some locations too. Yikes that would hurt.

Re: Wayne Lamicela Found after missing for days

Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 12:43 pm
by Jon
yeah I don't get how you lose your shoes. Like you had to take em off somewhere right? Unless he woke up in the middle of the night and just started running barefoot or something.