New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State locating and extracting lost, injured or distressed people and policing state lands.
This report of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers was prepared by DEC:
Town of Lewisboro, Westchester County
Water Rescue: On Aug. 30 at 5 p.m., while off duty spending the day at a nearby lake with family, Forest Ranger Lieutenant Gullen was alerted to someone calling for help near a popular cliff-jumping area.
A 42-year-old jumped from approximately 50 feet and suffered a back injury upon entry into the water. Lt. Gullen jumped off his boat and swam to the injured subject.
He performed a spine assessment while the subject was still in the water and determined it was a high-risk injury and then borrowed a paddleboard from a nearby group and stabilized the patient in a spine-safe position, before swimming the subject approximately 150 yards to the nearest residence where EMS was waiting.
EMS transported the subject to the hospital for surgery.
Town of Keene, Essex County
Wildland Fire: On Aug 31 at 6:30 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker on Noonmark Mountain reporting sustained smoke in the sky. At 3:32 a.m., three Forest Rangers located a fire approximately four miles from the Round Pond trailhead, near Gravestone Brook on the side of Bear Den Mountain.
Rangers began suppressing the one-acre fire using hand tools and determined it was caused by lightning. At 7:30 a.m., New York State Police Pilot Beck flew in with pumps and hoses. The fire was burning approximately three feet deep into the duff. By 8 p.m., Rangers contained the fire and on Sept. 4, Rangers declared the fire officially out.
Town of Arietta, Hamilton County
Wildland Fire: On Sept. 1 at 8:20 p.m., hikers in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness called Forest Rangers to report a fire. Rangers Hamm and Thompson responded to Whitney Lake to investigate and spent the night on site. Ranger Nally responded in the morning to assist. On Sept. 2 at 9 p.m., Rangers contained the 0.25-acre fire.
Town of Shandaken, Ulster County
Wildland Fire: On Sept. 3 at 1:45 p.m., Forest Ranger Horn responded to Rocky Mountain for a report of an unattended campfire that spread to duff near the summit. The small fire was a three-to-four-mile hike into a remote, trailless peak.
The following day, Rangers Martin and Stratton joined the efforts and determined the fire was 20 feet by 20 feet. Rangers removed hazardous trees from the fire area and used hand tools to expose underground heat in preparation for nighttime precipitation.
Despite the rain, the fire grew to 20 feet by 30 feet. On Sept. 8, New York State Police Aviation was called in to assist with bucket drops. Fire crews eliminated all heat and smoke.
Village of Manlius, Onondaga County
Wilderness Search: On Sept. 3 at 9:41 p.m., Onondaga County requested Forest Ranger assistance in the search for a 74-year-old with dementia who disappeared from their backyard earlier in the evening. Rangers Chappell and Petit joined the search.
New York State Police bloodhounds and a Manlius Police drone searched with negative results. At 10:14 p.m., a member of the Manlius Fire Department located the subject in a wooded area. Crews assisted the subject out of the woods. EMS transported the patient to the hospital for evaluation.
Town of Thurman, Warren County
Wildland Fire: On Sept. 4 at 3 p.m., Warren County Dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance for a structure fire that spread to nearby brush. Rangers Donegan and Kabrehl joined the Chester, Riverside, Stony Creek, Thurman, and Warrensburg fire departments on the scene. By 4:45 p.m., fire crews contained the 0.25-acre fire.
Town of Keene, Essex County
Wilderness Search: On Sept. 7 at 8 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker lost and separated from their hiking party on Mount Marcy. Coordinates placed the hiker near the summit of Skylight Mountain.
Rangers Foutch and H. Praczkajlo responded to search for the 39-year-old from Michigan. At 9:44 p.m., the other member of the hiking party called to report they were also lost, near the Van Hoevenberg trail.
Rangers Holdridge and Odell responded to search for the second hiker, a 42-year-old, also from Michigan. At 11:51 p.m., they located the second hiker and made their way out to Adirondak Loj.
At 2:35 a.m., Rangers located the first hiker and headed down the trail. Rangers reunited the two hikers at 11:16 a.m.
Read past Forest Ranger search and rescue reports here.
Photo of cliff jumpers near same area as the rescue in Westchester County provided by DEC.
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