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Who was Dariel Vasquez? 2024 Ramapo High grad, NY State Parks support

Vaseline2 weeks ago

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Who was Dariel Vasquez? 2024 Ramapo High grad, NY State Parks support

Dariel Vasquez, a parks and recreation employee with the New York State Parks Department, was just 18 years old when he died Saturday while battling a wildfire in Greenwood Lake.

Friends, family and community members gathered at noon Monday at the baseball field at Ramapo High School, where Vasquez was a star player.

According to the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Department, Vasquez was killed by a fallen tree while volunteering with the Wildland Fire Crew to extinguish a forest fire in Sterling Forest on November 9. New York State Police said they were investigating the Pomona man’s death.

Miosotis Vasquez was escorted to home plate at Ramapo’s baseball field by family and members of Lakeside Fire Rescue, the department her son volunteered for. Mourners placed their unlit candles on the field next to the number 7, the number on his jersey, written in the sand.

After praying the Lord’s Prayer in Spanish and counting to seven, the balloons in orange, green and white fluttered in the wind as the family released them to honor the memory of their son, brother and nephew.

Members of the Ramapo High baseball team gathered to tell Vasquez’s family how much he meant to them: “Dariel has always supported and helped me since I first met him,” said one of his teammates. “I thank God that he came into my life.” ‘I wish I could have one more conversation with him. Every time I saw him he was doing something to improve his life,” said another teammate. “He was like a brother to me. His family always welcomed me with open arms.”

At the end of their tearful speeches, members of the baseball team gathered around Vasquez’s parents and held them together in their grief and love for Dariel.

Colleagues from the Garnerville Shop Rite where he worked, members of the NYS Fire Rescue who stood alongside Vasquez as he battled the Jennings Creek fire, and local representatives also attended the vigil and also spoke to the family for their gratitude that they were allowed to know their son.

Teddy Goldstein, Vasquez’s former boss at Shop Rite, said he was simply “authentic.”

‘He always wanted to help wherever he could. There is nothing fake about Dariel,” Goldstein said, holding back tears. ‘There was no hiding his personality. Always sincere.’

Who was Dariel Vasquez?

Vasquez, who works for the State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Department, is a 2024 graduate of Ramapo High School. He was captain of the varsity baseball team, where he played for four years and was named the Spring 2024 Rockland County Senior Male Athlete.

“At Ramapo High School, Dariel was a dedicated student and gifted athlete – a leader among his classmates and teammates,” Anthony DiCarlo, superintendent of schools for East Ramapo Central School District, said in a statement. “We send our thoughts and condolences to Dariel’s family at this difficult time.”

As of Monday morning, Vasquez’s family had raised more than $51,000 through a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs.

“He was a leader among his peers and inspired others with his compassion, perseverance and respect for all,” they wrote in the post. “He had big dreams for the future, with plans to start university next January, a journey he embarked on with the same dedication he brought to every role in his life.”

Several wildfires have developed in the Lower Hudson Valley following extended periods of dry and windy weather.

At least three wildfires have hit the area in the past three weeks, including the ongoing Jennings Creek fire in Sterling Forest, which grew to nearly 3,000 acres Monday morning and remains out of control.

“In the 50-plus years that I have lived here, this has been the most significant and probably the most potentially dangerous situation that I have seen or been involved in,” Greenwood Lake Mayor Tom Howley said at the news conference Monday afternoon.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of (Vasquez), who tragically lost (his) life protecting our community on Saturday,” Howley said. “Our flags will fly at half-mast in his honor.”

(This story has been updated to add new information, photos and video.)

Michael P. McKinney contributed to this story.

Vaseline2 weeks ago

0 3 minutes read

Who was Dariel Vasquez?

Vaseline

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