Rutgers senior dies in apparent bear attack

Darsh Patel, a Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences senior from Edison, New Jersey, was killed yesterday in a bear attack while hiking in the Apshawa Preserve in West Milford Township.

President Robert L. Barchi emailed the University community yesterday informing it of the attack and sending thoughts and prayers to the 22-year-old’s family and friends.

“I deeply regret to report that we learned this morning of the passing of another Rutgers student, Darsh Patel, a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in information technology and informatics,” Barchi said via email. “Darsh was killed in a bear attack yesterday while hiking with friends in a wooded area of Passaic County.”

Bill Maer, the department spokesman for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, said a group of five hikers began the hike on the preserve. After a bear followed them, only four came out.

After the hikers called the West Milford police, a search began for the missing hiker. Patel was found at around 5:54 p.m., according to nj.com.

The sheriff’s office has ruled out foul play or criminal activity, and Maer said there were bear sightings in the general area where the hikers were yesterday.

“We have not had a bear attack that I’m aware of in a long time, if ever,” Maer said. “Generally, there’s not much interaction between individuals and bears.”

West Milford Police Chief Timothy Storbeck said the black bear was found and euthanized, according to nj.com.

Larry Ragonese, the press director for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said the last recorded bear attack in New Jersey was in 1852, and Sunday’s attack was “unique and unusual.” He also said West Milford is one of the most populated places in the state for black bears.

According to the DEP’s website, people can reduce conflicts with black bears by securing trash and eliminating obvious sources of food, like bird feeders or food residue left on barbeque grills.

People should use certified bear-resistant garbage containers or garbage cans with tight-fitting lids.

Removing fruit and nuts that fall from trees and not throwing meat or sweet foods in compost piles will also reduce the chance of attracting black bears, as will installing electric fencing to protect crops and beehives.

The area where the hikers were was a wide open, 80-square mile rural or only semi-developed area, Ragonese said. The residents of the area are used to spotting black bears.

In the past, the bears have broken into houses, cars and garages looking for food or a place to sleep, he said, but they are not known to aggressively go after people.

The attack is currently under investigation by the New Jersey State Medical Examiner, the New Jersey DEP Fish and Wildlife and the West Milford Police Department, according to a press release from the West Milford Police Department.

According to an email from Claire McInerney, acting dean of the School of Communication and Information, the School of Arts and Sciences will award Patel with a posthumous degree.

“He was a senior taking a full slate of Information Technology and Informatics courses and was poised to graduate and enter a career full of promise. From those who knew him we've learned that Darsh was friendly, a real team player, and someone who was highly motivated,” McInerney said in the email.

This is the second death the Rutgers community has faced this week. Caitlyn Kovacs, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences sophomore, was pronounced dead Sunday morning after appearing to be in distress at a fraternity party, according to an article published yesterday in The Daily Targum. The cause of death appears to be alcohol related.

Felicia McGinty, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said in an email that the loss of any student impacts the larger community.

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Darsh Patel,” she said. “Students are the heart of the University, and the loss of any student profoundly impacts the Rutgers community. It’s important for students to know that we are here to support them during this difficult time and have counseling and staff available to help them process feelings and work through grief.”