Motorcycle plunges into Berne lake without rider

BERNE — Last Friday night, two young men were drag racing on Thompson’s Lake when they hit a soft patch in the ice and one of their motorcycles went into the water, police said.

“He was able to scurry off,” said Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple of the rider. “The bike didn’t fare so well.”

Neither of the men was hurt and neither was charged by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

Since there are no charges, the office is not releasing the men’s names, said Apple; one of the bikers is a 25-year-old from Coeymans and the other is a 23-year-old from Selkirk.

Sheriff’s deputies and rescue workers responded. Apple said the office’s search and rescue team trains “constantly” for ice rescues but hasn’t had to make one for three or four years. He recalled that, several years ago, “We lost a car at Warner’s Lake.”

The sheriff went on to issue a general warning about using caution when venturing onto frozen bodies of water.

“The ice can look solid when it’s not,” he said. “Make sure you have a buoying device to help save your life.”

The motorcycle was still in the lake as of Monday and it would be up to its owner to get it out, said Apple. “They’ll have to hook it up with a chain and haul it out,” he said.

The New York State Environmental Police were called to the scene on Friday to help with cleanup. Apple said this is because oil and gasoline could leak from the motorcycle into the water. He said the environmental police reached no decision at the scene if there would be any fines levied.

On Monday, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation said there would be no charges for the motorcycle incident last Friday night.

More Hilltowns News

  • According to the Rural Housing Coalition of New York, rural areas of the state are getting disproportionately less affordable-housing tax credits for the development of larger low-income housing facilities. 

  • The Helderberg Family and Community Organization, in partnership with the Knox & Thompson’s Lake Reformed Church and Regional Food Bank, is setting up a new Hilltown food pantry, but needs volunteers skilled in carpentry and plumbing who can help them renovate the space.  

  • Within the first two weeks of President Donald Trump’s term, the United States Department of Agriculture ordered its staff to remove webpages related to climate change, prompting a lawsuit that was filed this week by various advocacy organizations. The Enterprise spoke with local experts about the impact the USDA’s new stance on climate change might have on the region’s farmers. 

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