Maryland Natural Resources Police Blotter

St. Mary’s County - On December 1, 2009, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) investigated a fatal boating accident that occurred in the Chesapeake Bay, 2 ½ miles east of Point Lookout, near Buoy #70. Preliminary investigation revealed two people were recreational fishing aboard a 28 foot Marinette boat. The vessel was underway when the passenger in the vessel fell overboard. The operator, Craig Matthew Powell, age 47 of Scotland, Md. turned the vessel around and located the overboard passenger. Powell was unable to get the passenger back on board his vessel. Personnel from Ridge Fire and Rescue arrived on scene to get the overboard passenger into their rescue vessel. The emergency personnel rendered aid and transported the victim to shore. The overboard passenger succumb to injuries at St. Mary’s hospital. The name of the victim is Gary Berthold Pappe, age 58 from Springfield, Va. The victim was not wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident. Maryland Natural Resources Police Special Operation Division is continuing the investigation into the accident.

Anne Arundel County – The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) identified the body that was found on Back Creek on November 30, 2009. The body was identified as
Heino Hans-Gerhard Hopp, age 62 of Annapolis, Md. Hopp was reported missing on November 24, 2009.

The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 249 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority.  Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov