73-year-old man found dead after going fishing

Above: The Schoharie Creek. Photo via catskillstreams.org

A 73-year-old Rotterdam man went fishing in the Schoharie County town of Esperance on Saturday, August 9 and never came home, according to a press release from the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office.

Conrad R. St Pierre's body was discovered on a steep wooded area by the Schoharie Creek by a search dog on Saturday night. 

At 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, St. Pierre's wife called 911 to say that her husband had gone fishing in the Schoharie Creek and had not returned. 

A search began, and officers from the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office found St Pierre's truck parked on Priddle Road in Esperance.

Multiple first responders searched the area, and at 11:20 p.m., a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officer named Keith Isles and his K-9 DEC dog discovered St Pierre's body "in a steep and wooded area between Priddle Road and the Schoharie Creek."

Update, 11:30 pm: Coroner McGovern has ruled that the cause of St Pierre's death was "cardiac related problems," according to the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office. The ruling was based on an autopsy conducted at Ellis Hospital.

Read the full press release, issued by Schoharie County Sheriff Tony Desmond, below:

At 9:30PM Saturday Schoharie County 911 received a call from Rotterdam Police Department reporting that they had been contacted by a Town resident advising that her husband had left to go fishing along the Schoharie Creek in the Town of Esperance at 7:30AM. He had not yet returned home.

Schoharie County Sheriff's Deputies responded to Priddle Road and located the husband's truck parked along the road.

A search detail of the area was conducted by Deputies, State Troopers and members of the Esperance Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Central Bridge Fire Department, the Schoharie County Search and Rescue Team and County Medics. Burtonsville and Carlisle Fire Departments were placed on standby.

At 11:20PM Conrad R. St Pierre, 73, was located deceased by Conservation Officer Sergeant Keith Isles and his K9 in a steep and wooded area between Priddle Road and the Schoharie Creek.

County Coroner Donna McGovern responded to the scene and ordered the body transported to Ellis Hospital for further investigation.

The cause of death has not been determined at this time and the investigation is continuing by the Sheriff's Office.