July 29, 2009
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Two associates of Gary F. Felasco channeled $35,000 to assist the former Lawrence County treasurer with his legal bills.
The disclosure appeared in a federal Probation Office’s pre-sentence investigation and report issued yesterday.
In February, Felasco pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to file a 2005 federal tax return. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the charge was separate but related to the case involving Affordable Housing of Lawrence County and First Commonwealth Bank.
The Warren, Pa., resident will be sentenced at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 10 in U.S. District Court, Pittsburgh.
Felasco’s troubles began in September 2005 while he served as county treasurer. He was indicted on charges of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, misappropriation of entrusted property, embezzlement and conflict of interest.
A Venango County jury found him guilty on all charges in May 2006.
“To help pay his attorney’s fees related to the state criminal case, (Felasco) received $35,000 in cash from two associates, which was funneled through his mother, Helen Felasco, and her boyfriend, Randy Janiel,” the report said.
The associates were not identified.
The report said the money was deposited in Janiel’s business account at ESB Bank. Records show three checks amounting to $40,000 were written from Janiel’s account to the law firm of Bowers, Ross & Fawcett to pay for Felasco’s defense.
Attorney James J. Ross represented Felasco in his state case. He is overseeing Felasco’s federal complaint.
The government said the money was neither a loan nor a gift but obtained as the result of illegal activity. Felasco’s 2005 federal tax return should have included $44,568 in earnings as treasurer and the $35,000. The government failed to collect approximately $10,000 as a result.
The report offered a variety of sentencing options, which include prison time, probation, parole, home detention and fines.
“It does not appear that (Felasco) has the current ability to pay a fine nor is likely that he will become able to pay any fine,” the report concluded.
Sentenced in August of 2006 to one to seven years in state prison, Felasco served the minimum term but remains on parole until 2013.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Staph pleads not guilty to bank fraud
July 22, 2009
A Neshannock Township resident returned to federal court in Pittsburgh.
Real estate appraiser Anthony J. Staph Jr., 43, of 132 Firestone Drive pleaded not guilty yesterday to one count of bank fraud.
A similar count was dismissed when the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a superseding indictment last week against Staph and Nicholas DeRosa, 64, of 221 N. Cascade St. The government claimed the pair, along with Robert Ratkovich, 40, of 512 Norwood Ave., engaged in mortgage fraud.
The alleged fraud focuses on First Commonwealth Bank and Affordable Housing of Lawrence County, a defunct, nonprofit housing agency.
Staph’s prior plea occurred in February.
A Neshannock Township resident returned to federal court in Pittsburgh.
Real estate appraiser Anthony J. Staph Jr., 43, of 132 Firestone Drive pleaded not guilty yesterday to one count of bank fraud.
A similar count was dismissed when the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a superseding indictment last week against Staph and Nicholas DeRosa, 64, of 221 N. Cascade St. The government claimed the pair, along with Robert Ratkovich, 40, of 512 Norwood Ave., engaged in mortgage fraud.
The alleged fraud focuses on First Commonwealth Bank and Affordable Housing of Lawrence County, a defunct, nonprofit housing agency.
Staph’s prior plea occurred in February.
Ratkovich pleads guilty to fraud
July 29, 2009
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
PITTSBURGH – A former New Castle councilman and housing consultant admitted that he conspired to defraud a Pennsylvania-based bank.
“Guilty, your honor,” Robert Ratkovich said yesterday in federal court.
Ratkovich, 40, of 512 Norwood Ave. waived his indictment, arraignment and plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond. He pleaded guilty to one count of bank and mail fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
“The long and short of it is, you provided (inflated) information,” Diamond said during the hourlong hearing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged Ratkovich and Nicholas DeRosa, 64, of 221 N. Cascade St. schemed to defraud First Commonwealth Bank of $250,000 in connection with Affordable Housing of Lawrence County’s purchase of seven properties in December 2005.
Neshannock Township resident Anthony J. Staph Jr., 43, faces one count of bank fraud in connection with the investigation. He appeared in federal court on July 21 and pleaded not guilty.
Ratkovich entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Dec. 22, 2008. The arrangement was outlined during yesterday’s hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Conway said he “anticipated (substantial) assistance from Ratkovich.”
Under the deal, Ratkovich will aid law enforcement in its investigation of DeRosa, Staph and unnamed parties. The government said it is looking into possible violations from January 2000 to present.
Ratkovich must provide investigators with documents and evidence in his possession. He also is required to testify when requested.
Conway said the government will seek a sentence reduction based on Ratkovich’s cooperation.
“I don’t believe it would be appropriate to comment at this time,” said John T. Haller Jr., Ratkovich’s attorney.
After the hearing, Ratkovich was taken to the U.S. Marshal’s Office for processing. He was then released on $10,000 unsecured bond. Ratkovich is not permitted to leave western Pennsylvania without the court’s permission.
A sentencing date has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 28. Conway said the government will likely seek a continuance.
DeRosa will be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Amy Reynolds Hay. A federal grand jury indicted the retired New Castle school administrator on one count of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
Pretrial motions involving Staph have been moved to Oct. 30.
Affordable Housing hired Ratkovich as a consultant to recommend and oversee property purchases. The board paid Ratkovich $45 an hour. During his tenure with Affordable Housing, he received approximately $60,000.
The county’s housing authority formed the spin-off, nonprofit corporation in 2003.
The government charged that Ratkovich and DeRosa knew the Norwood Avenue resident’s purchase recommendation to Affordable Housing was not the product of proper and accurate analysis. The rental properties were reportedly ones that DeRosa, his family members and his friends wanted to sell.
Ratkovich also submitted false financial projections regarding the properties to First Commonwealth, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Government investigators said Affordable Housing overpaid Ratkovich for his consulting services. The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged that Ratkovich, DeRosa and a person identified in court records as “G.F.” agreed to share the funds.
Affordable Housing declared itself insolvent in March 2006.
In May, Ratkovich resigned as the housing authority’s maintenance superintendent, a position he held since April 2005. Before that, he was the authority’s modernization coordinator.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Ratkovich faces a maximum of 50 years in prison, a fine of $1.5 million, or both. He also may be required to make restitution.
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
PITTSBURGH – A former New Castle councilman and housing consultant admitted that he conspired to defraud a Pennsylvania-based bank.
“Guilty, your honor,” Robert Ratkovich said yesterday in federal court.
Ratkovich, 40, of 512 Norwood Ave. waived his indictment, arraignment and plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond. He pleaded guilty to one count of bank and mail fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
“The long and short of it is, you provided (inflated) information,” Diamond said during the hourlong hearing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged Ratkovich and Nicholas DeRosa, 64, of 221 N. Cascade St. schemed to defraud First Commonwealth Bank of $250,000 in connection with Affordable Housing of Lawrence County’s purchase of seven properties in December 2005.
Neshannock Township resident Anthony J. Staph Jr., 43, faces one count of bank fraud in connection with the investigation. He appeared in federal court on July 21 and pleaded not guilty.
Ratkovich entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Dec. 22, 2008. The arrangement was outlined during yesterday’s hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Conway said he “anticipated (substantial) assistance from Ratkovich.”
Under the deal, Ratkovich will aid law enforcement in its investigation of DeRosa, Staph and unnamed parties. The government said it is looking into possible violations from January 2000 to present.
Ratkovich must provide investigators with documents and evidence in his possession. He also is required to testify when requested.
Conway said the government will seek a sentence reduction based on Ratkovich’s cooperation.
“I don’t believe it would be appropriate to comment at this time,” said John T. Haller Jr., Ratkovich’s attorney.
After the hearing, Ratkovich was taken to the U.S. Marshal’s Office for processing. He was then released on $10,000 unsecured bond. Ratkovich is not permitted to leave western Pennsylvania without the court’s permission.
A sentencing date has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 28. Conway said the government will likely seek a continuance.
DeRosa will be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Amy Reynolds Hay. A federal grand jury indicted the retired New Castle school administrator on one count of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
Pretrial motions involving Staph have been moved to Oct. 30.
Affordable Housing hired Ratkovich as a consultant to recommend and oversee property purchases. The board paid Ratkovich $45 an hour. During his tenure with Affordable Housing, he received approximately $60,000.
The county’s housing authority formed the spin-off, nonprofit corporation in 2003.
The government charged that Ratkovich and DeRosa knew the Norwood Avenue resident’s purchase recommendation to Affordable Housing was not the product of proper and accurate analysis. The rental properties were reportedly ones that DeRosa, his family members and his friends wanted to sell.
Ratkovich also submitted false financial projections regarding the properties to First Commonwealth, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Government investigators said Affordable Housing overpaid Ratkovich for his consulting services. The U.S. Attorney’s Office charged that Ratkovich, DeRosa and a person identified in court records as “G.F.” agreed to share the funds.
Affordable Housing declared itself insolvent in March 2006.
In May, Ratkovich resigned as the housing authority’s maintenance superintendent, a position he held since April 2005. Before that, he was the authority’s modernization coordinator.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Ratkovich faces a maximum of 50 years in prison, a fine of $1.5 million, or both. He also may be required to make restitution.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Neshannock man comes clean in skunk stumper
July 25, 2009
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Rocco Fazio let the ... er ... skunk out of the bag.
Not that much coaxing was needed.
“You’re not talking about the animal, are you?” the Neshannock man asked. “Gosh, I don’t believe it.”
OK, a little convincing.
“That’s me. I’m the guy moving the skunk all over Pulaski Road.”
For more than a month, neighborhood residents and passing motorists have been perplexed and amused. Where will a stuffed, toy skunk — named Buttercup —show up next?
As of yesterday, near First Assembly of God Church.
One day, a guard rail. Next, a telephone pole. A roof. In yards.
Today? Only Fazio and his family know.
A bit of tomfoolery between friends resulted in Buttercup’s Pulaski Road journey.
It started when Fazio’s dog, Daisy, had a few run-ins with a skunk. Daisy lost the encounters, getting sprayed each time. Fazio, who owns Rocco’s Wildlife Removal, set a trap to snare the troublemaker.
Two days and nothing.
Fazio was cutting grass on his two-acre property when Buttercup emerged. He made one pass in the yard and then another. When he turned his tractor for the third cut, a stuffed, toy skunk appeared.
Hiding behind a tree and laughing were neighbor Kenny Kauffman and his son. Thus began the travels of Buttercup the Skunk.
“I put it on the hood of my trunk that day,” Fazio said.
He then decided, “I’m going to move this thing all over Pulaski Road.
“People are wondering what’s going on. I just laugh.”
Neshannock resident Bill DeCarbo regularly conducts a Buttercup search.
“I’m so curious to see where it will go next,” he said. “It’s grown into a neighborhood thing.”
An attempt to reach Kauffman for comment was unsuccessful.
Fazio and his family transport Buttercup daily — the ride takes place at night or in the early morning. He’s been caught once.
“The lady was howling. She said ‘You’re the guy. That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.’”
Although his identity has been revealed, Fazio plans to continue his game of “Where’s Buttercup?”
“There’s a lot of places I haven’t hit yet.”
As for the real skunk that taunts Daisy, it hasn’t been nabbed.
“We got so overwhelmed with this thing.”
Buttercup declined to comment.
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Rocco Fazio let the ... er ... skunk out of the bag.
Not that much coaxing was needed.
“You’re not talking about the animal, are you?” the Neshannock man asked. “Gosh, I don’t believe it.”
OK, a little convincing.
“That’s me. I’m the guy moving the skunk all over Pulaski Road.”
For more than a month, neighborhood residents and passing motorists have been perplexed and amused. Where will a stuffed, toy skunk — named Buttercup —show up next?
As of yesterday, near First Assembly of God Church.
One day, a guard rail. Next, a telephone pole. A roof. In yards.
Today? Only Fazio and his family know.
A bit of tomfoolery between friends resulted in Buttercup’s Pulaski Road journey.
It started when Fazio’s dog, Daisy, had a few run-ins with a skunk. Daisy lost the encounters, getting sprayed each time. Fazio, who owns Rocco’s Wildlife Removal, set a trap to snare the troublemaker.
Two days and nothing.
Fazio was cutting grass on his two-acre property when Buttercup emerged. He made one pass in the yard and then another. When he turned his tractor for the third cut, a stuffed, toy skunk appeared.
Hiding behind a tree and laughing were neighbor Kenny Kauffman and his son. Thus began the travels of Buttercup the Skunk.
“I put it on the hood of my trunk that day,” Fazio said.
He then decided, “I’m going to move this thing all over Pulaski Road.
“People are wondering what’s going on. I just laugh.”
Neshannock resident Bill DeCarbo regularly conducts a Buttercup search.
“I’m so curious to see where it will go next,” he said. “It’s grown into a neighborhood thing.”
An attempt to reach Kauffman for comment was unsuccessful.
Fazio and his family transport Buttercup daily — the ride takes place at night or in the early morning. He’s been caught once.
“The lady was howling. She said ‘You’re the guy. That’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.’”
Although his identity has been revealed, Fazio plans to continue his game of “Where’s Buttercup?”
“There’s a lot of places I haven’t hit yet.”
As for the real skunk that taunts Daisy, it hasn’t been nabbed.
“We got so overwhelmed with this thing.”
Buttercup declined to comment.
Badge 36
July 25, 2009
POLICE, FAMILY RECALL
THE MAN BEHIND THE SHIELD
ON THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH.
BADGE 36
PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Anthony Lagnese walks into work and wants to see his friend.
Robert J. Lepore is not there.
A year ago today, the New Castle police department’s detective sergeant died at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. Two weeks earlier, the veteran officer had suffered severe injures when his SUV struck a utility police. The 44-year-old Mahoningtown resident was off-duty at the time.
“It’s definitely something I still think about everyday,” said Lagnese, a corporal in the department’s narcotics unit. “I go to the office and still expect to see him there.
“I still expect to see him come through the door.”
Badge No. 36 – retired. A photo of Lepore – the department’s solemn tribute.
“The department’s different now,” Cpl. Bob Salem said. “You walk into the detective’s bureau. Every day, you look at his chair. You look at his desk.
“He had a shrine of pictures of his kids on the wall. It’s just empty now.”
His family and police brethren continue to grieve and remember on the one-year anniversary of his death. Lepore would have preferred otherwise.
“Bobby would want us to go forward and not mourn him that much,” his mother, Helen, said.
Lepore was a police officer.
“I told him, ‘Bobby, that’s your profession, but you’re a man. You’re a father,’” she recalled. “He said, “Ma, I identify myself as a police officer.’
“And then I found out why. So many people came up to me and said, ‘He told me if there was any problem, you come up to me.’ He didn’t just say it. He meant it.”
News of the accident sparked prayer vigils and support throughout Mahoningtown for Lepore and his family.
“He was a leader in our community, and he was a leader in his family,” niece Heather Micco said. “Bobby was like the nucleus that held us all together.
“You never thought something would happen to him because of his passion, his strength. You keep wanting to wake up from the nightmare.”
Lepore’s two sons – Thomas, 21, and Mike, 24 – are following their father’s career path in law enforcement. The decision was made before their father’s death.
“I always wanted to grow up and do it,” said Thomas Lepore, a security officer with Jameson Health System.
He was the last family member to see his father before emergency personnel flew Lepore to Pittsburgh for treatment.
“That day my mum called me,” Thomas recalled. “(She said), ‘There’s a big wreck on Atlantic.’
“I didn’t know it was him.”
His stepfather found Thomas and relayed what had happened.
“I caught (my dad) a brief second,” he said. “I gave him a kiss and told him I loved him.
“He just screamed my name.”
Thomas remains undeterred in his desire to be a police officer. If given the opportunity, he would join the New Castle police force “in a second.”
Mike works at the Lawrence County jail.
“He always wanted (better) for me and Thomas,” he said. “He always wanted us to be better than him. He was there to give us the pros and cons of everything.”
The pair took the department’s entrance exam in December.
“He always told me to do it right,” Mike said. “If I don’t get offered a job in New Castle, I’ll go somewhere else.”
The family mourns for another reason. After Lepore’s death, his two other children, Rian and Rakail, went with their biological mother to Washington, D.C. They returned to the area for four days in December.
“His family came first and that’s what kept him driven,” Micco said. “Four kids and he still found time for his family.”
Micco delivered her uncle’s eulogy during his funeral Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Church. Before she approached the altar, Thomas made a request.
“Make sure you tell them he was fearless.”
POLICE, FAMILY RECALL
THE MAN BEHIND THE SHIELD
ON THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH.
BADGE 36
PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Anthony Lagnese walks into work and wants to see his friend.
Robert J. Lepore is not there.
A year ago today, the New Castle police department’s detective sergeant died at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. Two weeks earlier, the veteran officer had suffered severe injures when his SUV struck a utility police. The 44-year-old Mahoningtown resident was off-duty at the time.
“It’s definitely something I still think about everyday,” said Lagnese, a corporal in the department’s narcotics unit. “I go to the office and still expect to see him there.
“I still expect to see him come through the door.”
Badge No. 36 – retired. A photo of Lepore – the department’s solemn tribute.
“The department’s different now,” Cpl. Bob Salem said. “You walk into the detective’s bureau. Every day, you look at his chair. You look at his desk.
“He had a shrine of pictures of his kids on the wall. It’s just empty now.”
His family and police brethren continue to grieve and remember on the one-year anniversary of his death. Lepore would have preferred otherwise.
“Bobby would want us to go forward and not mourn him that much,” his mother, Helen, said.
Lepore was a police officer.
“I told him, ‘Bobby, that’s your profession, but you’re a man. You’re a father,’” she recalled. “He said, “Ma, I identify myself as a police officer.’
“And then I found out why. So many people came up to me and said, ‘He told me if there was any problem, you come up to me.’ He didn’t just say it. He meant it.”
News of the accident sparked prayer vigils and support throughout Mahoningtown for Lepore and his family.
“He was a leader in our community, and he was a leader in his family,” niece Heather Micco said. “Bobby was like the nucleus that held us all together.
“You never thought something would happen to him because of his passion, his strength. You keep wanting to wake up from the nightmare.”
Lepore’s two sons – Thomas, 21, and Mike, 24 – are following their father’s career path in law enforcement. The decision was made before their father’s death.
“I always wanted to grow up and do it,” said Thomas Lepore, a security officer with Jameson Health System.
He was the last family member to see his father before emergency personnel flew Lepore to Pittsburgh for treatment.
“That day my mum called me,” Thomas recalled. “(She said), ‘There’s a big wreck on Atlantic.’
“I didn’t know it was him.”
His stepfather found Thomas and relayed what had happened.
“I caught (my dad) a brief second,” he said. “I gave him a kiss and told him I loved him.
“He just screamed my name.”
Thomas remains undeterred in his desire to be a police officer. If given the opportunity, he would join the New Castle police force “in a second.”
Mike works at the Lawrence County jail.
“He always wanted (better) for me and Thomas,” he said. “He always wanted us to be better than him. He was there to give us the pros and cons of everything.”
The pair took the department’s entrance exam in December.
“He always told me to do it right,” Mike said. “If I don’t get offered a job in New Castle, I’ll go somewhere else.”
The family mourns for another reason. After Lepore’s death, his two other children, Rian and Rakail, went with their biological mother to Washington, D.C. They returned to the area for four days in December.
“His family came first and that’s what kept him driven,” Micco said. “Four kids and he still found time for his family.”
Micco delivered her uncle’s eulogy during his funeral Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Church. Before she approached the altar, Thomas made a request.
“Make sure you tell them he was fearless.”
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Ratkovich expected to plead guilty
July 17, 2009
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Three New Castle residents charged in a mortgage fraud scheme will appear in federal court later this month.
The alleged conspiracy centers on Affordable Housing of Lawrence County, a defunct nonprofit housing agency created in 2003 by the Lawrence County Housing Authority.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh is claiming that Nicholas DeRosa, 64, of 221 N. Cascade St. and Robert Ratkovich, 40, of 512 Norwood Ave. plotted to defraud First Commonwealth in connection with the purchase of seven properties by Affordable Housing.
Ratkovich will appear before U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond at 10 a.m. July 28. The former housing authority maintenance supervisor is charged with one count of bank and mail fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
According to court records, Ratkovich will waive his indictment, arraignment and plea hearing. The action signals a defendant’s intent to enter a guilty plea.
DeRosa will be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. July 30 before U.S. Magistrate Amy Reynolds Hay. A federal grand jury indicted the retired New Castle school administrator on one count of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
The government will ask DeRosa to post a $10,000 bond.
In conjunction with DeRosa’s indictment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office refiled a charge against Anthony J. Staph Jr., 43, of 132 Firestone Drive.
A real estate appraiser, Staph entered a not guilty plea to one count of bank fraud in February.
When Staph was named in the same indictment as DeRosa, the government dropped the earlier charge and then reintroduced it. Staph’s arraignment will take place at 9:30 a.m. July 21 before Hay.
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Three New Castle residents charged in a mortgage fraud scheme will appear in federal court later this month.
The alleged conspiracy centers on Affordable Housing of Lawrence County, a defunct nonprofit housing agency created in 2003 by the Lawrence County Housing Authority.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh is claiming that Nicholas DeRosa, 64, of 221 N. Cascade St. and Robert Ratkovich, 40, of 512 Norwood Ave. plotted to defraud First Commonwealth in connection with the purchase of seven properties by Affordable Housing.
Ratkovich will appear before U.S. District Judge Gustave Diamond at 10 a.m. July 28. The former housing authority maintenance supervisor is charged with one count of bank and mail fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
According to court records, Ratkovich will waive his indictment, arraignment and plea hearing. The action signals a defendant’s intent to enter a guilty plea.
DeRosa will be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. July 30 before U.S. Magistrate Amy Reynolds Hay. A federal grand jury indicted the retired New Castle school administrator on one count of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
The government will ask DeRosa to post a $10,000 bond.
In conjunction with DeRosa’s indictment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office refiled a charge against Anthony J. Staph Jr., 43, of 132 Firestone Drive.
A real estate appraiser, Staph entered a not guilty plea to one count of bank fraud in February.
When Staph was named in the same indictment as DeRosa, the government dropped the earlier charge and then reintroduced it. Staph’s arraignment will take place at 9:30 a.m. July 21 before Hay.
Block-and-tackle system aided in McConnell’s Mill rescue
July 21, 2009
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
A simple mechanism played a pivotal role in the rescue of a New Brighton man Sunday afternoon.
Slippery Rock Township firefighters employed a block-and-tackle system to retrieve an injured Lucas Oehling.
Oehling, 20, fell 35 to 40 feet at the McConnell’s Mill State Park’s Kildoo Waterfalls, located below Kennedy Road bridge. He was listed last night in fair condition at Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh.
Chief Ranger Rick Carson said Oehling suffered a 5-inch head wound and complained of back pain. The New Brighton man was conscious during the rescue and able to move his hands and feet.
The incident occurred, Carson said, when Oehling and his girlfriend, who was not identified, wandered off one of the park’s marked trails around 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Wearing tennis shoes, Oehling edged his way to the waterfalls. He slid down the hill, over the falls and onto rocks, Carson said.
“He wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary,” added Chief William Lunn, who heads the township’s volunteer fire department. “He lost his footing.
“He tried to catch himself.”
Carson said a volunteer search-and-rescue team, U.S. SARR Corps, was practicing nearby on Rim Road when members heard screams for help. The Beaver Falls-based group reached Oehling and alerted authorities.
Lunn’s unit then took the lead in the rescue. With McConnell’s Mill and Hell’s Hollow in its coverage area, the department specializes in rope and water rescues.
Getting to Oehling meant taking a different route than the one he followed.
“We had to do a lot of rigging to get to the location,” Lunn said. “We used a block-and-tackle system to bring him on over.”
The rescuers decided to follow a steep incline, covering 75 feet, to reach Oehling.
“You have to protect your people,” Lunn said in determining which path to take. “We have every bit of the same risk of getting injured.”
Firefighters from Portersville-Muddy Creek and Scott Township assisted, along with the volunteer rescue team.
“These different fire departments came together,” Lunn said. “They all meshed.”
As a precaution, authorities called in STAT MedEvac to fly Oehling to Presbyterian Hospital.
Portersville’s ambulance company and state police also assisted.
Carson said the incident reinforces two safety tips: Wear a good pair of hiking shoes and stay on marked trails.
“If people stay on the trail, they usually don’t get injured.”
By PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
A simple mechanism played a pivotal role in the rescue of a New Brighton man Sunday afternoon.
Slippery Rock Township firefighters employed a block-and-tackle system to retrieve an injured Lucas Oehling.
Oehling, 20, fell 35 to 40 feet at the McConnell’s Mill State Park’s Kildoo Waterfalls, located below Kennedy Road bridge. He was listed last night in fair condition at Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh.
Chief Ranger Rick Carson said Oehling suffered a 5-inch head wound and complained of back pain. The New Brighton man was conscious during the rescue and able to move his hands and feet.
The incident occurred, Carson said, when Oehling and his girlfriend, who was not identified, wandered off one of the park’s marked trails around 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Wearing tennis shoes, Oehling edged his way to the waterfalls. He slid down the hill, over the falls and onto rocks, Carson said.
“He wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary,” added Chief William Lunn, who heads the township’s volunteer fire department. “He lost his footing.
“He tried to catch himself.”
Carson said a volunteer search-and-rescue team, U.S. SARR Corps, was practicing nearby on Rim Road when members heard screams for help. The Beaver Falls-based group reached Oehling and alerted authorities.
Lunn’s unit then took the lead in the rescue. With McConnell’s Mill and Hell’s Hollow in its coverage area, the department specializes in rope and water rescues.
Getting to Oehling meant taking a different route than the one he followed.
“We had to do a lot of rigging to get to the location,” Lunn said. “We used a block-and-tackle system to bring him on over.”
The rescuers decided to follow a steep incline, covering 75 feet, to reach Oehling.
“You have to protect your people,” Lunn said in determining which path to take. “We have every bit of the same risk of getting injured.”
Firefighters from Portersville-Muddy Creek and Scott Township assisted, along with the volunteer rescue team.
“These different fire departments came together,” Lunn said. “They all meshed.”
As a precaution, authorities called in STAT MedEvac to fly Oehling to Presbyterian Hospital.
Portersville’s ambulance company and state police also assisted.
Carson said the incident reinforces two safety tips: Wear a good pair of hiking shoes and stay on marked trails.
“If people stay on the trail, they usually don’t get injured.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)