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Who was Dariel Vásquez? 2024 Ramapo High grad, help for New York state parks

Sakege November 12, 2024

Dariel Vásquez, an assistant with the New York State Parks Department, was only 18 years old when he died while volunteering with park rangers to put out a Greenwood Lake wildfire on Saturday.

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

According to the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Vasquez was killed by a fallen tree while volunteering with the Wildland Fire Rescue Team to extinguish a wildfire in Sterling Forest on November 9.

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

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

Members of the Ramapo High baseball team gathered to tell Vasquez’s family how much he meant to them: “Dariel always supported me and helped me since I met him,” said one of his teammates. “I thank God for having come 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.

Co-workers from the Garnerville Shop Rite where he worked, members of the New York State Fire Department who stood by Vasquez while he fought the Jennings Creek Fire, and local representatives were also present at the vigil and also spoke to the family for their gratitude. to meet your son.

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

“He always wanted to help however he could. There’s nothing fake about Dariel,” Goldstein said, fighting back tears. “You couldn’t hide his personality. Always great.”

Who was Dariel Vásquez?

Vasquez, a parks and recreation assistant employed by the State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, as a 2024 graduate of Ramapo High School. He captained 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 talented athlete, a leader among his classmates and teammates,” East Ramapo Central School District Superintendent of Schools Anthony DiCarlo said in a statement. “We send our thoughts and condolences to Dariel’s family during this difficult time.”

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

“He was a leader among his peers, inspiring 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 college next January, a journey he approached with the same dedication he brought to every role in his life.”

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

At least three wildfires have affected the area in the last three weeks, including the current one Jennings Creek Fire in Sterling Forest, which grew to nearly 3,000 acres Monday morning and has not yet been contained.

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

“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 their honor.”

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

– Michael P. McKinney of Lohud contributed to this story.