by Geoff Fox
A missing persons case involving a young man from New York was closed Thursday in Hancock.
Just before 8 a.m. Thursday, May 16, the Washington County 911 Center received a 911 hang-up from a cell phone from the area of the C&O Canal in Hancock.
Troopers from the Maryland State Police responded to the location where the call originated and found a car parked linked to a missing person from Somers, New York near the canal.
The unnamed 25-year old male advised family members he was suicidal and had left New York on Wednesday, May 15.
An extensive search was conducted throughout the night and it was learned the subject had traveled south on Interstate 81 into West Virginia. He then traveled back to Maryland sometime overnight.
A search was conducted using numerous police assets, including troopers from the MSP Hagerstown Barrack, MSP K-9 tracking teams and helicopter Trooper 5, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, National Park Police, Hancock Fire Department, and Hancock Rescue Squad.
The male was found during the search near the C&O Canal, police said.
According to police, the male had cut his arms with a knife and was bleeding profusely when found. Troopers applied a tourniquet and carried the victim to a nearby ambulance where he was stabilized and flown to Shock Trauma by helicopter.
The landing zone was conducted in the parking lot of the Hancock Truck Stop.
Police advised the response from emergency personnel had no connection to the search for missing Berkeley Springs teen Riley Crossman.
