Firefighters Find Lost Hunter In Foggy State Forest

By Andrew Gorosko

Following a call for help as it was becoming dark in the 1,200-acre Lower Paugussett State Forest on Wednesday, November 21, a team of Sandy Hook firefighters assembled and found a hunter who had become lost while pursuing a deer in the foggy woods.

Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company Chief Bill Halstead said this week that firefighters received a cellular telephone call at 4:43 pm from the hunter who had become lost in the darkening woods after he had left a marked trail to pursue a deer that he had shot and was tracking through the trees.

The solo hunter, who Chief Halstead described as a middle-aged man from Fairfield, had parked his vehicle near an entry point to the forest off Great Quarter Road and then walked into the dense stand of trees on his hunt for deer.

Fortunately, the hunter had a cellphone and was able to stay in communication with the firefighters who were seeking him.

 Arriving in the area, firefighters initially advised the hunter to stay in one place to simplify his being found by searchers.

Seventeen firefighters responded to the call for help.

Armed with bright flashlights, six firefighters went into the dark woods, some of whom were using the fire company’s all-terrain vehicle (ATV), which is rigged for forest search-and-rescue work.

 Based on information gleaned from cellphone contact with the man and Global Positioning System (GPS) data, firefighters entered the forest from Kale Davis Road and from Leopard Drive. Those streets lie west of Great Quarter Road.

The firefighters entered the forest at 5:03 pm and were able to find the lost hunter by 5:51 pm, Chief Halstead said. They found the hunter in an area lying about 2,500 feet from Leopard Drive, he said. The firefighters led the man out of the forest by 6:13 pm.

The hunter was not injured in the incident, nor were any firefighters, Chief Halstead said.

Having the use of an ATV has proven helpful to firefighters during forest searches for lost people, the fire chief said.

So far, this year, Sandy Hook firefighters have used the ATV for five searches, and have used it for a total of eight searches since acquiring it in 2006, he said.

 State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) personnel participated in the November 21 incident, checking the credentials of the hunter after he was found, Chief Halstead said. The DEP manages the forest for sawtimber, firewood, wildlife habitat, and recreational activities such as hiking, hunting, bird watching, and cross-country skiing.

Police provided the hunter with a ride to his vehicle on Great Quarter Road, after which he left the area.