DEC Contact: Jeff Wernick (518) 402-8000 November 01, 2022
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DEC FOREST RANGERS – WEEK IN REVIEWRecent Statewide Forest Ranger Actions |
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations, and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from across New York State. In 2021, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 426 search and rescue missions, extinguished wildfires, participated in prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate hundreds of acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in thousands of tickets or arrests. "Over the last decade, as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic, DEC saw an increase in people visiting State lands to experience New York’s abundant opportunities for outdoor recreation,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “DEC’s Forest Rangers continue to be on the front lines to help visitors get outside responsibly and get home safely, as well as to protect our state’s irreplaceable natural resources. Rangers' knowledge of first aid, land navigation, and technical rescue techniques are critical to the success of their missions, which for more than a century have taken them from remote wilderness areas with rugged mountain peaks, to white water rivers, and throughout our vast forests statewide." Town of Kent City of Poughkeepsie Rangers Sweeney and Cowart at criminal justice fair at Marist College (photo attached) Town of Arietta Sling load mission (photo attached) Town of Middlebury Pheasant stocking at Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area (photo attached) Hamlet of Elmont Town of Bleeker Village of Fort Ann Wildfire in Fort Ann (two photos attached) Essex County Wilderness Rescues: On Oct. 30 at 1:30 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance for a hiker with a lower leg injury near the summit of Mount Marcy. Due to the location and severity of the injury, Rangers Lewis and Praczkajlo called for New York State Police (NYSP) Aviation assistance. NYSP Pilot Kotronis flew the Rangers to the location. Ranger Lewis was lowered down to the injured 40-year-old who fractured their leg after slipping on ice while descending from the summit, sliding approximately 30 feet, and crashing into a rock. Ranger Lewis splinted the injury and put the hiker, from Newark, New York, in a harness. Ranger Praczkajlo hoisted the hiker before hoisting Ranger Lewis. At 3:40 p.m., Pilot Kotronis flew the patient to Adirondack Medical Center for surgery and treatment for her injuries. At about the same time, Ray Brook Dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance with another hiker with a leg injury near the Saddleback Cliffs in the town of Keene, Essex County. Pilot Kotronis flew Rangers Lewis and Praczkajlo to the location. Rangers spoke to the 69-year-old from Latham on the phone and guided him to crawl to a safe location for a hoist rescue. The hiker had slipped on an icy and muddy slab, broken his leg, and suffered a laceration to his calf caused by a spruce root. Ranger Lewis was lowered down to harness the subject. Ranger Praczkajlo hoisted the hiker and then Ranger Lewis. At 5:05 p.m., Pilot Kotronis flew the patient to Adirondack Medical Center for surgery and treatment for his injuries. Both hikers had microspikes, but with ice measuring approximately six inches thick, crampons and an ice axe are suggested to help avoid falls. Without the help of NYSP Aviation, these two rescues would have taken many hours, delaying medical care for the two patients. Hoist rescue on Mount Marcy (photo attached) Hoist rescue at Saddleback Cliffs (three photos attached) Village of Poland Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC's Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information, and Catskill Backcountry Information webpages for more information. If a person needs a Forest Ranger, whether it's for a search and rescue, to report a wildfire, or to report illegal activity on state lands and easements, they should call 833-NYS-RANGERS. If a person needs urgent assistance, they can call 911. To contact a Forest Ranger for information about a specific location, the DEC website has phone numbers for every Ranger listed by region: https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/667.html |
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