MARBLETOWN � On the afternoon of Friday, September 17, the body of yet to be identified 29-year old Ryan Charles Panchak of Kingston was found by a fisherman and his daughter at 1:45 p.m., floating in an old quarry pond off Fording Place Road.

The fisherman called 911 and the State Police. The state's Department of Environmental Conservation Police, Ulster County Sheriffs, the Lomontville Fire Department, Marbletown Rescue and the Ulster Hose Volunteer Fire Department's dive team were all dispatched to the scene as the waters in the area range from shallow to deep. However, a sergeant from the State Police was able to retrieve the body without aid from the dive team.

Because details of the death were not known at the time the discovery was first made, a team of investigators and members of the forensic identification unit were called in. Yellow crime-scene tape was tied to trees across the entrance to Fording Place Road on both the Route 209 and Hurley Mountain Road entrances leading to the deeply wooded area.

Senior Investigator Peter Kusminsky's comments, reported in the following day's papers, said that there was no indication of foul play. Nevertheless, until the coroner examined the body, the incident would be treated as a crime scene. At the time of the discovery, police did not have knowledge of how long the body was in the water.

Kusminsky later stated that a fishing pole and tackle box had been found nearby, as well as Panchek's Honda Civic.

On Monday, September 20, the State Police released Panchak's name after an autopsy revealed the death was asphyxiation due to drowning and classified as an accident. The young fisherman had a medical condition, which required medication. According to his mother, Barbara Panchak, he still experienced seizures, though infrequently.

The medical examination also revealed that Panchak was only in the water approximately 45-minutes before being discovered by the fisherman at 1:45 p.m.

Panchak was a 1999 graduate of Kingston High School and had a baby son, Jacob, who recently celebrated his first birthday.

Said Kristina Hagen, Panchak's partner and mother of his son Jacob, "Ryan went fishing in the afternoon; it was his favorite thing to do. We spoke at 1 p.m. and he was to be coming home in an hour or two."

She said that the loss to their son is tremendous, and added, "No baby had a better or more caring father then Jake did. I am sad for his loss, my own, his mother, father and sister � as well as his other family members and many friends. Anyone whose life Ryan touched knew he was the greatest guy. We are all shocked and heartbroken."

Panchak's mother said, "He was an outdoorsman; he loved nature. We take comfort in the fact that he was doing what he loved to do."

She said that her son went to that location to fish all the time, "He loved it there � it is such a beautiful spot."

"He was such a great kid, a loving son, and he always rooted for the underdog. He just touched so many people's lives in such a good way."

Calling hours will be at A. Carr & Son Funeral Home in Kingston on Thursday, September 23, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. There will be a funeral service for Ryan Charles Panchak on Friday, September 24, at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church in Kingston. The inurnment will follow the service.