Driver escapes from car in Delaware River; sedan yet to be recovered

The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) in Narrowsburg, New York, heard a report Jan. 4 from the National Park Service (NPS) of someone’s car being swept down river from the Pennsylvania river access near Callicoon. The driver managed to escape, but a month later, his car was still in the river.

NPS Superintendent Lindsey Kurnath, Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River, reported that on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at about 1 p.m., a driver on the Pennsylvania side pulled his car into the Fish & Boat Commission access ramp. "He lost control of his vehicle and landed in the high water. Thankfully, he escaped, but his sedan was washed down river," she said. The river level was 10 feet as measured at the Barryville gauge.

The driver was identified only as a local resident who frequently visits the area. A bystander who happened to see the car slide into the river called 911.

They located the car on Friday, Dec. 22, just south of the river access at Tammany Flats. The Park Service is working with the landowners and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to get the car out of the river as soon as possible. They have had to wait quite a while for the river level to go down. EPA is the lead federal agency for inland water recovery and is coordinating the effort.

"It remains in the same location, though we are optimistic for a recovery in the coming days,” Karnuth said in an email exchange on Jan. 18 when she was asked for an update. It was still there on Jan. 23.

Between the weather and coordinating with the parties involved, she said they have not yet identified a good window for recovery operations. They still have not decided on floating the car to the next nearest public access at Damascus, about four and a half miles downriver, or hooking the car with an excavator to bring it to land.

Water was coming in the car as soon as it hit the river and was pressing against his doors. Kurnath said she believes the man fortunately had something open (such as a window), which enabled him to get out.

The Delaware River Basin Commission hydrology report shows a sharp escalation of river flows in mid-December, caused by heavy rain. As measured at the Montague gauge, near Milford, PA, the flow went from 8,740 cubic feet per second (cfs) on Dec. 17 to 34,700 cfs on Dec. 18, the day the car slid off the Callicoon river access ramp. The same day at Lake Wallenpaupack, Brookfield Renewable opened the dam spillway to bring down the lake level, which ended Jan. 15.

In addition to NPS, state police and nearby fire departments from Pennsylvania and New York arrived on scene. The EPA is working with the operator of the vehicle and his insurance company.

On June 28, 2006, intense flooding across the region followed several days of torrential rain. An elderly man from Equinunk, northern Wayne County, died after his car washed off a bridge near Equinunk into the Delaware River, State Police reported. At Callicoon, a few miles downstream from Equinink, the river crested at 20.38 feet; flood stage is 12 feet.

Virginia Dudko elected

The UDC held its 2024 election of officers. Virginia "Ginny" Dudko was picked as chairperson for the first time.

The UDC, based in Narrowsburg, New York, is a partnership of Pennsylvania member townships in Wayne and Pike counties, and New York towns in Delaware, Sullivan, and Orange counties, fronting the 73.4-mile Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River. The two states and Delaware River Basin Commission are also represented on the board. The UDC has a contractual partnership with the National Park Service.

Dudko has been the UDC representative for the Town of Deerpark since 2011 and was vice chair last year. Her late father, Lew Schmalzle, served as the Town of Highland representative for 12 years, during which she often accompanied him to meetings.

Jeffrey Dexter, Damascus Township representative, was selected again as vice chair, a position he held four other years. He has also served as chairperson and as secretary-treasurer. Al Henry, Berlin Township representative, was named secretary-treasurer, his 11th year in that capacity.

Trail volunteers sought

Superintendent Kurnath reported that they were selected as a host site for the American Hiking Society Volunteer Vacations program. NPS will be working with six to eight volunteers in September to assist with trail work to re-route the Tusten Mountain Trail, on the former Ten Mile River Boy Scout Camp property.

NPS has an agreement with The Conservation Fund to do light maintenance on this trail if NPS chooses. The Conservation Fund purchased a parcel of the Ten Mile River Boy Scout Camp, which also includes the river access, from the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America in recent years. The Fund also allows the NPS to continue providing public river access.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has also been involved to ensure it supports any work done on the trail, since DEC may eventually manage the site.

Kurnath said that the one footbridge over a natural drainage area is unstable, and the plan is to shift the trail slightly north. "I don't think anyone really likes that bridge and if we can figure out how to eliminate it, that is less trail maintenance for everybody concerned," she said.

The Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America allows the public to hike the 2.9-mile loop trail.  The popular trail, which is rated "moderately difficult" by Trailkeeper.org, is noted for stunning views of the Upper Delaware River.

To volunteer for this project, contact the American Hiking Society at americanhiking.org/volunteer-vacations.

River access clogged

Aaron Robinson, Shohola Township UDC representative, asked who would take responsibility to maintain the refurbished Town of Highland river access across from Shohola Township. He said half of the access ramp between the parking area and the river is now filled with debris. The area regularly collects river debris, he stated.

Kurnath said that the Park Service historically helps. She asked if there were any funding sources to hire anyone to clear river accesses. Ryan Coulter, DEC, said that a lot of accesses along the Delaware River have joint responsibility. He will find out who oversees that area. He said there are a variety of ways it is handled depending on the access.

Al Henry asked that the river access maintenance be put on the Water Use/Resource Management Committee agenda. Evan Padua, Town of Tusten representative, said some people just pull up with their pickup and cut up any dry driftwood and take it home as firewood, but at Highland one can no longer drive in, due to the debris.

The $500,000 refurbishment of the Town of Highland river access, 1.5 miles west of Barryville, was dedicated last August.

The UDC meets on the first Thursday at 7 p.m. at the UDC offices, 211 Bridge St., Narrowsburg, New York. For information, call 845-252-3022 or visit upperdelawarecouncil.org.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: NPS working to remove car from Upper Delaware River