By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Shandaken, N.Y. — Phoenicia Fire District Commissioner Michael J. Ryan, a retired Kingston police officer, died on Saturday, Dec. 13 after a sudden cardiac arrest during a rescue for an injured hiker. Firehouse+1
- Crew had hiked ~½ mile into wooded terrain when Ryan collapsed; fellow firefighters, DEC Forest Rangers, Shandaken Police and EMS initiated lifesaving measures on scene. Firehouse+1
- Call came in around 5:30 p.m.; Ryan was pronounced at the scene despite immediate care. Firehouse+1
- Ryan’s service included U.S. Air Force, Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, Kingston Police (1996–2021), and Town of Ulster Police (training officer); long-time Phoenicia FD/commissioner. Officer
- Community leaders called it a “profound loss”; arrangements through E.B. Gormley Funeral Home. Times Union
SHANDAKEN, N.Y. — A Hudson Valley firefighter and retired police officer died Saturday after suffering a medical emergency while responding to a report of an injured hiker in the Catskill Mountains, officials said.
Michael J. Ryan, a firefighter and commissioner with the Phoenicia Fire District, was part of a team that entered a wooded trail in Shandaken at about 5:30 p.m. to reach a patient when he went into sudden cardiac arrest, county officials said. Fellow firefighters immediately began CPR and were joined by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers, Shandaken Police and Shandaken EMS, but Ryan could not be revived. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Firehouse+1
Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger’s office called Ryan’s passing a “profound loss” to the department and community. The Times Union reported that Ryan had been associated with the Phoenicia Fire District for roughly 45 years, reflecting decades of local service and leadership. Times Union
A career public servant, Ryan previously served in the U.S. Air Force, worked for the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, spent 25 years with the Kingston Police Department—including as a leader on the Emergency Services Unit—and most recently served as a training officer with the Town of Ulster Police Department, according to agency statements. Tributes from regional police and fire agencies highlighted his mentorship role and commitment to training. Officer
Funeral arrangements are being handled by E.B. Gormley Funeral Home in Phoenicia. Additional details on the rescue patient’s condition were not immediately available. Times Union