Aug. 21

Commissioner Basil Seggos

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

635 Broadway

Albany, NY 12233

Dear Commissioner Seggos,

Two days ago (Aug. 19) our son Lecco Morris, 29, went hiking in the Dix Range in the Adirondacks. He did not come home that night as expected, so I took parental action. A 911 call led us to Jennilyn Hernandez, the night dispatch person in your department. She was our first encounter with what proved to be a long string of caring, professional and dedicated people in the DEC. She collected information and kept me on the line until she connected me to Rob Praczkajlo in Keene Valley sometime around 11 p.m. Rob got further information and drove around the mountain until he found my son’s car at a different location than Lecco had intended to enter his hike. For his own peace of mind, he then drove to the other trailheads in an effort to determine that Lec hadn’t exited the mountain elsewhere. He called and reported to me several times and by 2 a.m. had decided to launch a search come daylight. Ms. Hernandez helped again to distribute Lecco’s photo for the rescue operation.

My husband and I drove from Schenectady early the next morning to meet Rob at the Keene Valley Volunteer Fire Department, which was the command center. The teams of ground searchers and the helicopter were already combing the mountain by our arrival at 8:30.

Rob greeted us warmly and explained their tactics thoroughly to us. As we waited for the next five hours, Rob answered all of our questions and developed a profile of our son to help them in their search. We also met Chris, Kevin and a number of other forest rangers, assistants and others. To the last person they were kind, considerate, professional, caring, positive and gave us great confidence in the outcome of their search. You can imagine that a parent’s imagination might not only conjure up happy outcomes at such a moment!

By about 1:30 p.m. Rob shouted, “We’ve found him! — And he’s OK!” Rob had asked Pat O’Dell, an assistant ranger who had spent the night in a lean-to, to join the search. Pat was nearby when he heard Lecco shouting at the helicopter pilot, who could not see him. Pat and Rob coordinated with the pilot, Scott Kotronis with State Police Aviation, to airlift him out. Scott had to land on very small sandbar in the middle of a creek with little clearance for his aircraft. As he tried to land the first time, the strong downdraft from the rotors ignited a smoldering signal fire my son had built in the middle of the sandbar. Pat and Lecco had to fully douse the fire before Scott could successfully land and pick them up. Within minutes Lec was delivered safely into our arms. Although Scott had just flown off by the time we arrived at Marcy Field, Rob, Chris and Pat were genuinely delighted and relieved at Lec’s rescue and our reunion. Rob’s shift was supposed to have ended at 9 a.m., but he said he wasn’t going home until our son was found. He looked as relieved and tired as we felt.

Although I have named the people who I know to have come into direct contact with Lecco (or us) during this rescue effort, I know that many others were heavily involved — 16 other rangers, I understand. I have no doubt that those we didn’t meet, who were still coming off the mountain as we drove home, are every bit as remarkable as those we met. The public has no idea how lucky we all are to have the charming, dedicated, brave and professional teams of the DEC and other county, state and volunteer agencies that coordinate regularly to save hikers in trouble.

Speaking of volunteers … I must add our commendations and sincere thank you to the Keene Valley Volunteer Fire Department who hosted us and Rob and his teams as the command post for the whole operation — a role that, I understand, they regularly serve.

And thank you to Alicia Bodmer, daytime dispatcher, who assisted Rob’s teams during the rescue on Monday and graciously helped me, post-rescue, to direct this letter appropriately.

It is remarkable that every single person we met or interacted with in any way was warm, helpful, knowledgeable and very kind — not just toward us but toward our literally wayward son. I am certain that every lost or injured hiker and his family receives similar treatment, too!

This is the kind of experience that gives the public faith, confidence and pride in our government. To listen to the news, to read the papers these days, you wouldn’t know that there were any pockets of true public service and decency still left. Kudos to the DEC!

Our deepest gratitude and highest commendations,

Kathleen and Philip Morris

and, of course, Lecco, our lucky son

Schenectady

cc: State Police Aviation, Keene Valley Volunteer Fire Department