Found Deceased NY - Paul McKay, 31, Saranac Lake, 31 Dec 2013

[mikkismom]

Body of missing Australian found

http://adirondackdailyenterprise.co...ody-of-missing-Australian-found.html?nav=5008

 

[SouthAussie]

From above link ^^^

….. was found Wednesday near the summit of Scarface Mountain in Ray Brook,

Beyond that, the chief declined to provide any more information, including McKay's cause of death and who found his body, until a news conference that's scheduled to take place late this morning.

 

[BunnyHop]

Body of missing Australian found

http://adirondackdailyenterprise.co...ody-of-missing-Australian-found.html?nav=5008

RAY BROOK - A nearly two-week search for a missing Australian solider is over.

The body of Paul John McKay, 31, of Canberra, Australia, was found Wednesday near the summit of Scarface Mountain in Ray Brook, village police Chief Bruce Nason told the Enterprise this morning.

The body was removed from the scene using a state police helicopter and brought to the state Department of Environmental Conservation Region 5 headquarters in Ray Brook. It was positively identified as McKay, and his family in Australia was subsequently notified, Nason said.

RIP Paul.

http://www.lakeplacid.com/do/hiking/scarface-mountain

 

[SouthAussie]

Describes the hike up Scarface Mountain ....

I'm sure these times don't reflect winter (and polar vortex) conditions.

Family with Young Kids: Primary trail - Not recommended

Experienced Hiker: Primary trail - 1.5 hours to summit

Out of Shape Hiker: Primary trail - 2.0 hours to summit

http://www.lakeplacid.com/do/hiking/scarface-mountain

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Oh my...

I was so hoping this would not be the outcome... As we all were...

I hope Paul has found the peace he deserves...

and... raying: for his loved ones...

:rose: :rose:

 

[Sunrisenow]

I'm so sad
RIP Paul.

 

[Davia18]

Terrible outcome, I hope you have found peace Paul RIP.

 

[Sunrisenow]

"No signs of foul play have been determined in the initial investigation," the state police statement reads.

An autopsy is scheduled today to determine McKay's cause of death.

Beyond that, the chief declined to provide any more information until a news conference that's scheduled to take place later this morning at state police Troop B headquarters in Ray Brook.

http://www.adirondackdailyenterpris...ssing-Australian-found--update-.html?nav=5008

 

[Sunrisenow]

Press conference scheduled to announce developments in search for Paul J. McKay as per press release by New York State Police:

https://www.nyspnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=35401

 

[wondering?]

I am so sorry to learn of his death, and I, too, hope that he has found peace. So many people in that area would have tried to help him, taken him in, fed and clothed him and gotten him mental health. So many searched for him, hoping for a different outcome.

My condolences to his family in Australia, what a difficult time for them.

 

[wondering?]

I'm interested in the young man who disappeared in the same area last year. Are you able to provide a name so that I can research that a little please, wondering?

I'm curious to see if the Saranac Lake/Lake Placid thing could be just a step in the journey to a final destination. I'm wondering if Paul could be long-gone from the area.

Finding the emotional energy to buy a plane ticket, get to the airport, sit on a gruelling 20-hour flight to NY, get to the bus station, then sit on a long 5-hour bus ride to Saranac Lake (? why Saranac Lake ? no apparent answer to that) to wander off somewhere and end it all because a person is depressed/not coping due to PTSD is a big ask IMO. Plenty of beautiful spots MUCH closer to home, plenty of beautiful hiking much closer to home too.

Sorry, I just saw your question and the young man's name is Colin Gillis and he went missing in 2012, my mistake, never been found.

So sorry about the death of Paul.

 

[FigTree]

Such a sad outcome.
Rest in Peace now Paul.
:rose:
My sincere condolences to Paul's family and loved ones.
:rose:

 

[Sunrisenow]

Asked what gear McKay had with him, Nason and Streiff said he had a ground cover and "winter-type" clothing, but no sleeping bag, tent or any kind of shelter. Streiff said he didn't believe McKay had a gun or any other weapons with him. His possessions have been turned over to state police.

Streiff said it appeared to forest rangers and investigators like McKay "had been there for a while," but they don't know how long. He said the Scarface trail had been checked several times during the search.

"We had been up the trail," he said. "We had done sweeps next to the trail. We had searched the top of Scarface, but our search area was still incomplete, and that's why one ranger started going up and searching some promontories and that's when his body was located near a rock outcropping. He was not visible by the air, nor was he visible by the searchers who had been on Scarface the previous date."

http://adirondackdailyenterprise.co...n-shoulder-of-Scarface-Mountain.html?nav=5008

 

[MsAnais]

This is unbelievably sad :facepalm: As we all were, I was so wishing for another outcome for Paul. Sending many blessings to his soul and his family......wishing him much peace.

 

[Sunrisenow]

NEW YORK STATE POLICE - Press release:

On January 16, 2014, an autopsy was performed on the body of 33-year-old Paul J. McKay, found on January 15, 2014 by New York State Forest Rangers on Scarface Mountain in the town of North Elba.

The autopsy was performed by Dr. C. Francis Varga at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, NY, who ruled the cause of death to be arrhythmia due to hypothermia. Essex County Coroner Francis Whitelaw has ruled the manner of death to be suicide.

https://www.nyspnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=35418

 

[SouthAussie]

Thanks for keeping us updated with the MSMs, Sunrisenow. Some of these details may not be published in Aussie MSM.

And thanks to all those wonderful people who searched and searched for Paul, in horrible conditions ….. his parents will be so grateful to be able to bring their boy home.

Paul, you will always be a hero.

 

[Ephtee]

The addition of Lifeline and suicide prevention lines in this article is telling. So sad

http://www.news.com.au/world/body-o...er-suffered-ptsd/story-fndir2ev-1226803695024

 

[Public_Hysteria]

Very sad outcome... Rest in peace, Paul. My thoughts are with your friends and family during this difficult time.

I believe that Paul deliberately made plans for this - as others have posted, he left his camera with photos behind, set up a facebook page with pictures, and even left the country (possibly so there was no chance he would be found by a friend or family member, causing them further pain).

So incredibly sad. There is always help out there, but sometimes it's hard to get yourself to a point where you are willing to seek it. I hope Paul has found the peace he was searching for.

 

[enzeder]

NO SHELTER

Saranac Lake Police Chief Bruce Nason said in an interview Thursday that McKay did not have any shelter equipment with him on the mountain.

“He was lying on the ground covered with a blanket. He was 400 to 500 feet off the trail.”

Paul J. McKay died by suicide, Essex County coroner ruled.
Read more: http://www.pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x651177160/Mans-body-found-on-Scarface-summit

 

[enzeder]

"Essex County Coroner Francis Whitelaw has ruled the manner of death to be suicide," the release states.

"He was laying there, and he had a blanket on himself," said village Police Chief Bruce Nason, describing how McKay's body was found. "He had winter clothes on, a couple layers of jackets and snowpants. He must have just laid down, went to sleep and froze. That's what it looks like."

Paul McKay reportedly died of suicide by hypothermia
Read more: http://adirondackdailyenterprise.co...-died-of-suicide-by-hypothermia.html?nav=5008