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 Fine, St. Lawrence County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 10 at 10:30 a.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance from a 65-year-old hiker on the Cranberry Lake 50 trail with a possible food-borne illness. Forest Ranger Ezumah responded by boat across Cranberry Lake to campsite 17. Ranger Ezumah escorted the hiker from Ballston Spa by boat and then to their vehicle in Wanakena. The hiker declined further medical attention and DEC resources were clear at 1:45 p.m.
Town of St. Armand, Essex County
Wilderness Search: On Sept. 11 at 6:09 p.m., Forest Ranger H. Praczkajlo received a text from Franklin County Dispatch regarding a lost subject on Baker Mountain in Saranac Lake. DEC Dispatchers provided the 34-year-old from Rochester with a link to a map, but the hiker was unable to get back on trail. Rangers Ordway and Praczkajlo hiked to the subject’s location near a cliff and assisted them back to their vehicle. Resources were clear at 7:34 p.m.
Town of Keene, Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 13 at 10:50 a.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for a hiker with a knee injury at Slant Rock lean-to in John’s Brook Valley. Due to the remote location, New York State Police (NYSP) Aviation Pilot Engle and Forest Ranger R. Praczkajlo inserted Rangers Foutch and H. Praczkajlo at the John’s Brook Outpost landing zone, approximately two miles from the subject.
At 3:20 p.m., Rangers Foutch and H. Praczkajlo reached the 74-year-old from Queensbury and determined a hoist rescue was necessary. NYSP Pilot Engel and Ranger R. Praczkajlo successfully hoisted the patient into the helicopter and flew to an awaiting Keene Valley EMS ambulance.
Hamlet of Edwards, St. Lawrence County
Wilderness Search: On Sept. 13 at 11:15 p.m., New York State Police (NYSP) requested Forest Ranger assistance in the search for a missing 70-year-old with dementia. The subject left their residence between noon and 3 p.m. with a dog. The dog later returned without the subject.
Ranger Shea led the Incident Command and directed Ranger Emerson to search a wooded area behind the home. At the same time, a NYSP K-9 unit was also searching in that area and found the subject on a rock outcropping.
The patient was dehydrated, exhausted, and mildly hypothermic. Volunteers provided an emergency blanket and water. At 1:45 a.m., volunteer firefighters, Ranger Emerson, and NYSP carried the subject in a litter out of the woods to a UTV that took them to an awaiting ambulance.
Read past Forest Ranger search and rescue reports here.
Photo of John’s Brook Valley helicopter hoist rescue provided by DEC.
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