You are here

Electrified Bearproofing Device Nearly Kills Little Girl at Delaware Water Gap

Share

On Friday afternoon, a seven-year old girl from Slate Hill, New York, was nearly killed when she stepped on an electrified device at the historic Delaware View House in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area The victim, who had reportedly stopped breathing after being electrocuted, was treated by rangers before being flown to Morristown Memorial Hospital. She was later reported to be in satisfactory condition.

The Delaware View House, a big Greek Revival structure originally built as a farmhouse in 1837, sits on a bluff overlooking the Delaware River and Flatbrookville, New Jersey. The historic structure, which once served as a resort for Russian émigrés, has been partly restored and is now being operated as a general store under the terms of a 40-year lease extending to 2030.

The electrical device that the little girl came into contact with had been installed to ward off black bears. It apparently was not commercially available portable electric fencing of the type sometimes used to protect campsites and hunting camps, but rather a makeshift device. The general store, which attracts nearly all of its business on weekends, was not open at the time of the accident.

The Delaware View House leaseholder was arrested, charged with maintaining a hazardous device on federal land, and released. The incident is now under investigation.

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.