Tropical Storm Irene claims two in Ganienkeh

A young couple who live in Ganienkeh died Sunday night as their car plunged into the Great Chazy River. Mikita Fox, 23, of Wikwemikong, Ontario and Danine R. Swamp, 24, of Onondaga, were identified Monday afternoon.

New York State Police told the Plattsburgh Press-Republican that witnesses saw a vehicle on Devil’s Den Road go into the water at a washed out bridge near Feinberg Park around midnight Sunday night/Monday morning.

“These are the first confirmed fatalities of this storm in our region,” New York State Police Captain Robert Lagontain told the Press-Republican.

Police and rescue workers began searching the area early Monday morning and were able to find the vehicle a few hundred yards downstream from the washed out bridge. Rescue workers had to wait until the rain-swelled river went down before they could get into the vehicle to see if anyone was inside. Once they got in the vehicle they found it empty and the search continued.

Devil’s Den Road is in Clinton County and connects Route 190 to the center of Altona, New York and continues to Route 11 into Mooers. An Altona town official said rushing water washed away the pavement and underlying soil from the bridge area and created a drop of about 15 feet to a box culvert below.

The Altona Volunteer Fire Department put caution tape and other warnings around both ends of the bridge around 10:30 p.m. Sunday night. Around midnight residents in the area heard the sound of squealing tires.

Police found the bodies of Fox and Swamp were found even farther downstream from the washed out bridge. Fox’s body was found in the woods, which were flooded by heavy rains from Tropical Storm Irene. Police were also conducting an aerial search and were able to find Swamp downstream from where they found Fox.