TOWN OF DEERPARK, NY – An accident on Galley Hill Road in the Town of Deerpark early Sunday morning, January 18, prompted a call for firefighters, police, and members of local dive teams to assist with an overturned car in water. 

The location, identified in a motorist’s call for help, was 140 Galley Hill Road, Cuddebackville, NY. The car was found by emergency responders to be upside down in a tributary that runs down a steep section of Galley Hill Road into the Bashakill wetland, which feeds into the Neversink River.  The downhill stream sits at the base of a steep ridge alongside the 400-acre Dragon Springs and Falun Gong Global Headquarters.

Huguenot Fire Company’s 2^nd Assistant Chief Jeffrey Conklin, who operated command on scene, said upon arrival responders found the vehicle to be unoccupied. He credited Matamoras, PA’s Fire Chief and Dive Team member Matthew McKeon with arriving quickly on scene, already in his cold-water dry suit, and able to enter the water to assist anyone in need of help.

Conklin said besides making sure anyone inside was not injured, hypothermia is always a concern in cold, snowy conditions such as existed at the time of the 6:15 a.m. call. 

McKeon, however, initially found no one inside or around the vehicle. Reached after the response, McKeon said when he arrived there was NYS Police officer on scene. McKeon made his way to the vehicle, broke a window to gain entrance, and found the overturned car to be unoccupied. He said all of the windows and doors were closed, but he saw footprints going up a steep incline into the woods on the opposite side of the stream.

At that point the call, with no victims in the car or shallow stream, Orange County’s Battalion 8 Water Operations Team was cancelled. 

A woman who arrived on scene said she was uninjured and had made her way out of the car and called for help.

Huguenot, Cuddebackville, and Matamoras Fire Departments assisted on scene, along with New York State Police.