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NORTHAMPTON – State Police are investigating what they call the accidental drowning death of a veteran soldier lost on duty Sunday on Great Sacandaga Lake in Fulton County.
Private James J. Monda, 45, a member of a Princetown-based maritime patrol unit since 2017, traveled to the lake with scuba gear for unscheduled training, the police superintendent said. State Kevin Bruen to reporters during a late afternoon briefing at Troop G in Latham.
Monda, who joined the 2002 State Police, entered the water during a launch on Bunker Hill Road around 4 p.m. and did not resurface. He was removed from the water and taken to Nathan Littauer Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
He is survived by his fiancee and his parents
“It’s hard. We’re all in pain right now, but we’re going to be fine,” Major Christopher West, G-Troop commander, told reporters. He said G-Troop, the largest troop in the world. state staff, was like family.
Monda, who joined the State Police over 18 years ago, has spent most of his career in the G. West Troop said he remembers Monda when the soldier was in training in 2002. West was a sergeant at the time.
“He was very popular with his classmates then, and that continued in the field all those years later,” West told reporters.
West described Monda as a conscientious worker who has been selected for some of the State Police’s most sought-after missions, such as the State Fair and the Maritime Patrol Mission, which is separate from the Dive Team of state police.
“He’s done an exceptional job so far and I’m sure he would have continued to do a great job,” West said.
Monda was originally from the Rotterdam region.
“He was very popular in the region. A lot of people in the area knew him, “said” He joked a lot that when he stopped people and saw people (he knew) he knew more people in the area than I did, just a joke fun between us.
West added, “He will be missed… he was very well liked by many of us here. All of us.”
West was joined by Bruen and State Police Col. Steven Nigrelli.
The superintendent said an autopsy ruled out any medical emergency responsible for the soldier’s death prior to the drowning.
“We need to do an investigation to find out exactly how this happened,” Bruen said.
Bruen said investigators would look at a number of things, including the equipment used by the soldier, the behavior of those involved and any gaps or lack of training.
“It’s a dangerous job,” Bruen said. “The whole occupation is dangerous. Families of soldiers live with the fact that when the soldier leaves home they may not return.
“We have an obligation to make sure that when we are faced with a situation like this, a thorough investigation is carried out,” he said, “and that if there are any gaps in the training with our procedures that need to be changed or modified or that the equipment needs to be changed or modified as we do.
Bruen has mentioned on several occasions that the training was not scheduled, but did not want to speculate as to why Monda dressed and entered the water.
New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association president Thomas H. Mungeer said the PBA would help organize the funeral.
“Private Monda has selflessly dedicated his life to the protection and service of the public, and we will never forget his ultimate sacrifice,” he said in a statement.
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