by Bea Peterson
The Hoosick Falls Police Department, area firefighters and State and County rescue personnel were all part of a search operation on the Hoosic River Easter Sunday and Monday. According to Police Chief Robert Ashe, a call came in about 12:15 am that a woman might have fallen in the river near the River St. bridge. Witnesses told police they had seen a woman walking in and out of the road and they had spoken to her. They said she appeared “highly intoxicated.” The woman told them she was going into the woods by the river. They lost sight of her and a short time later they heard a splash.
Chief Ashe said police and Hoosick Falls firefighters responded to the call and searched the river banks until 4 am. Boats were brought in, and the search was resumed at daylight, with State and County mobile units on the scene. The search was called off Sunday morning between 10:30 and 11 am.
Witnesses described the woman as in her forties with reddish hair and blond highlights. She was wearing glasses, a blue shirt, black shorts and flip-flops and was carrying a brown purse.
“We checked with some of the local establishments [bars], and a woman matching that description was seen there,” said the Chief.
On Monday, youngsters fishing the river bank told police they thought they saw a body. “The things they said matched up with what we already knew,” said Chief Ashe. NYS police divers and a police helicopter were called in and the search was renewed at about 1:30 pm.
“We had great cooperation from the County and State,” said Ashe. “Throughout the search there were anywhere from 50 to 100 people taking part.” The NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Rescue provided a mobile command
unit and boat and rescue equipment. The new Rensselaer County mobile command unit was put into use and firefighters from Hoosick Falls, Hoosick, West Hoosick, North Hoosick, Buskirk and Johnsonville took part in the search. The Averill Park Fire Department brought its rescue boat on Sunday, and the East Schodack Fire Department did the same on Monday. Either the Town of Hoosick Rescue Squad or the Bennington Rescue Squad was on the scene throughout the search. The Hoosick Falls Fire Department had a command post set up on the west side of the river near the Mechanic St. bridge.
The search was confined to the area between the River St. bridge and the Mechanic St. bridge. “Because of the water conditions, and based on what the kids said, the divers felt this was the area we should be searching,” said the Chief. The search concluded at 8 pm Monday evening.
Chief Ashe said he has fielded many calls and he has had no matches so far. “We are confident a person was there. Everything matched up from independent people.” Someone in the Boston area who had been here over the weekend called to confirm what had been reported.
If the person is safe, said Ashe, he wishes she would pick up the phone and let him know. “She’s not going to be in trouble. We just want to know she is okay.”
