Highland man dies while hunting

Heart attack suspected

By FRITZ MAYER

TOWN OF HIGHLAND, NY — According to members of his family, one of the great joys in the life of Charles Hallock Sr. was hunting in the deep woods of Sullivan County with his family.

That’s what he was doing in the early evening hours of November 28, when he was reported missing. He had failed to come out of the woods after hunting with his grandson and others just south of Eldred Preserve of State Route 55 in Highland.

Town of Highland constables answered the initial call and requested assistance from the Yulan and Highland Lake fire companies. A short time later, sheriff’s deputies and state forest rangers responded along with the Sullivan County Bureau of Fire. A command post was set up at the Highland senior citizens center as rescuers searched the surrounding forest.

All told, about 150 police, firefighters, emergency workers and local volunteers searched the woods for Hallock. A state police helicopter joined the effort using a thermal imaging system, but the pilot reported that the thick canopy of pine trees made viewing the ground difficult. The search was called off just before midnight.

Rescue workers resumed the search at daylight the next morning. At about 9:30 a.m., the state police helicopter spotted Hallock approximately a half-mile into the woods. The helicopter directed ground crews to the location where Hallock was found, with his hunting rifle nearby. Sheriff’s detectives suspect Hallock may have suffered a heart attack because he had previously suffered two heart attacks. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

At the time, a search crew consisting of Hallock’s four sons, his grandsons, grandson-in-law and a few of their closest hunting friends was nearby, and according to a letter to The River Reporter from the family (see below), a forest ranger on the scene allowed family members to spend a private moment with the fallen hunter.

Family members were effusive in their thanks to the many members of the community who turned out to aid in the search.

Also, see obituary.

The Hallock family thanks the community

It is with heartfelt gratitude that we write this thank you letter to the members of Sullivan County’s emergency services, Town of Highland officials, New York State Police, volunteer firemen, the New York State forest rangers and many local families and businesses. It wasn’t until our father, Charlie Hallock Sr., was reported missing on Friday, November 28, while hunting with his son and grandson on the state land off Route 55 in the Town of Highland, that we realized what a well-organized group of volunteers and county and town officials we are fortunate enough to have here in Sullivan County.

When the call for help went out from the Hallock family just before 5:00 p.m., all EMS departments, volunteer firemen, local families, businesses and individuals were ready to help in any way they could during our time of need. A search was commenced by air, foot and vehicle by hundreds of individuals to help find our father. The Highland Senior Center was opened as a command post. Food and drink was brought in to help keep the searchers hydrated and warm during the search. A New York State Police helicopter was brought in to aid with the search. It was called off at 1:30 a.m. and was reconvened at 6:30 a.m.

On Saturday, even more people were involved in the search. The center was open again and breakfast was prepared for the searchers, and everyone involved was still willing to help in anyway possible. County and state officials, many of whom the Hallock family never met before, were calling us by name, making it feel more personal and reassuring us that our father would be found.

At about 10:00 a.m., when the helicopter located our father, the search team that consisted of his four sons, his grandsons, grandson-in-law and a few of our closest hunting friends were the closest to him. When we arrived, there was a forest ranger with our father, and he allowed us to have private moments with him. His professionalism was something that couldn’t be taught in any academy and was second to none.

All of the individuals who helped remove our father from the woods did so with professionalism and dignity. It was very personal for us when the officials and volunteers that see death all too much consoled our family with tears in their eyes. It is also very comforting for the entire family to know that professionals like all of you help keep Sullivan County safe.

So it is again with the deepest of gratitude that we thank you and salute you for helping us find our father, Charles Hallock Sr., where God decided to take him from us while doing the thing he loved the most, hunting with his family in the deep woods of Sullivan County, his county for most of his 71 years.