Central NY native, a former high bobsledder, dies swimming in Adirondack lake

Harrietstown, N.Y. – A Central New York native who was on a number of U.S. nationwide bobsled groups has died within the Adirondacks in an obvious drowning.

John D. Cogar, 76, initially from Auburn, went lacking final Thursday night in Harrietstown, based on a State Police information launch.

Cogar jumped into the water from a pontoon boat simply north of Eagle Island on Lower Saranac Lake and didn’t resurface, based on troopers and the state Department of Environmental Conservation. A boater contacted police at about 6 p.m.

DEC police and forest rangers together with a State Police dive crew searched the waters that night time, however broke off the search shortly after midnight, based on the DEC.

State police divers discovered his physique Sunday morning.

Cogar spent most of his life in Upstate New York.

Cogar was inducted into the Auburn School District’s Hall of Fame in 2007. As a scholar, Cogar was named essentially the most excellent again on the Auburn 1966 soccer crew.

Cogar went on to star in soccer and observe on the University of Rochester. Cogar was a soccer captain in 1970 and broke a number of data, based on the college. In observe, Cogar gained a number of state championship medals.

He is now within the Rochester Athletic Hall of Fame.

Cogar graduated from Cornell Veterinary College in 1975.

He went on to compete with not less than 4 U.S. nationwide bobsled groups, taking part in three Olympic trials. He retired from bobsledding after an accident in 1988.

After school, Cogar opened his personal animal hospital in Ray Brook, the place he handled animals for many years. He left the enterprise in 2008, however it nonetheless operates right now as High Peaks Animal Hospital.

More not too long ago, Cogar traveled to Ukraine on a volunteer journey in October 2022 to deal with animals impacted by the struggle, based on the University of Rochester.

Over 10 days, Cogar carried out 80 surgical procedures, handled injured animals, gave vaccinations and performed bodily examinations, college officers stated. He usually labored by flashlight when the electrical energy was knocked out, they stated.

“This experience is something I’ll cherish forever,” he instructed the college.

Troopers stated an post-mortem is being carried out to find out the reason for demise, however no foul play is suspected.

Staff author Finn Lincoln covers breaking information, crime and public security. He may be reached at flincoln@syracuse.com.