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 Clifton, St. Lawrence County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 10 at 12:53 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call regarding an overdue hiker on the Dead Creek trail in Cranberry Lake Wild Forest. Forest Ranger Benzel confirmed the subject’s vehicle was still in the parking lot. At 1:20 p.m., Ranger Benzel located the 41-year-old from Webster as the subject was attempting to hike back down the trail.
The hiker was shivering, nauseated, thirsty, and tired, and showed signs of mild hypothermia, dehydration, and possible fall-related injuries. Rangers Ellis and Shea traveled by boat to the subject’s location. Rangers warmed the patient by building a campfire and providing warm fluids before transporting the hiker by boat to the trailhead parking lot. Ranger Benzel drove the patient to the hospital. Resources were clear at 6:15 p.m.
Town of North Elba, Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 12 at 3:27 p.m., Forest Rangers Foutch and Rooney responded to a call for a dehydrated hiker near the summit of Mount Haystack. Despite vomiting, the hiker continued the planned route up and over the shoulder of Mount Marcy and down to Marcy Dam, while Rangers responded. When Rangers reached the hiker, they provided water, electrolytes, and food, and assisted them out to Adirondak Loj. Resources were clear at 7:22 p.m.
Rangers encourage hikers to bring enough food and water for the entirety of their planned hike, and longer in case something goes wrong. Planning ahead can help hikers avoid dehydration along the trail.
Town of Lake George, Warren County
Rescue: On June 13 at 1:30 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker who had suffered a leg injury on Prospect Mountain. Forest Rangers, an Environmental Conservation Police Officer, and DEC Operations staff hiked to the patient with a wheeled litter and other equipment.
Rangers splinted the hiker’s leg injury and packaged the 34-year-old from Gansevoort for evacuation down the trail using the wheeled litter with a belay. Family members transported the subject to the hospital. Resources were clear at 4:30 p.m.
Town of Johnsburg, Warren County
Wilderness Search: On June 13 at 3:50 p.m., Hamilton County 911 alerted Ray Brook Dispatch about a dropped call from a hiker lost on Crane Mountain with their dog. Forest Rangers started linear searches of the trails and area around Crane Mountain Pond.
Ranger Caswell located some tracks and heard a dog barking. Navigating the steep terrain, Ranger Casewell made voice contact with the 42-year-old hiker from Queensbury. The subject and their dog were stuck on a ledge, mid-slope, on the mountain. Rangers worked down to the hiker and assisted them back to the trail. The hiker and dog were in good health. Resources were clear by 9 p.m.
Town of Keene, Essex County
Wilderness Search: On June 14 at 12:20 a.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from someone concerned about his wife and son who were overdue from a hike up Nippletop Mountain. At 2:45 a.m., Forest Ranger DuChene located the 54 and 19-year-olds from LeRoy on the access road and transported them back to their vehicle.
Rangers encourage hikers to inform a friend or loved one of their anticipated hiking plans so they can call for assistance if the hiker becomes overdue. In this case, planning ahead helped ensure the safe location and return of the hikers.
Town of Hunter, Greene County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 14 at 4:10 p.m., Greene County 911 requested Forest Ranger assistance with a subject on the Escarpment trail who was suffering abdominal pain and unable to hike out. Forest Ranger Fox called the subject’s hiking partner to get an exact location.
The couple was at the intersection for the Lower Kaaterskill Falls trail along the Escarpment trail. Two Assistant Forest Rangers performed a medical assessment while Rangers responded. Four Rangers packaged the 58-year-old from New Rochelle into a littler.
Rangers and members of the Haines Falls and Tannersville Fire Departments carried the patient to a Hunter Ambulance at the Laurel House trailhead. Resources were clear at 5:30 p.m.
Read past Forest Ranger search and rescue reports here.
Photo of Prospect Mountain rescue provided by DEC.
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