New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 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 the backcountry.
“Across New York, DEC’s Forest Rangers’ are on the front lines helping people safely enjoy the great outdoors,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. “Their knowledge of first aid, land navigation and technical rescue techniques are critical to the success of their missions which take them from remote wilderness areas, with rugged mountainous peaks to white-water rivers, and throughout our vast forested areas statewide.”
Recent missions carried out by DEC Forest Rangers include:
Essex County
Town of North Elba
High Peaks Wilderness
Lost hiker: On Oct. 7 at 12:25 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 requesting assistance for a 31-year-old female from Cohoes lost near the summit of Tabletop Mountain. A DEC Forest Ranger and the Marcy Dam caretaker located the woman at the GPS coordinates provided by Essex County 911 approximately 50 yards from the trail near the summit. She was escorted out to the trailhead at 5:51 p.m.
Town of Keene
High Peaks Wilderness
Lost hikers: On Oct. 7 at 8:04 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a direct call from a 41-year-old woman from New York City lost with her parents on Three Brothers Mountain. She was able to provide GPS coordinates from her phone but stated they had no flashlights or headlamps. A DEC Forest Ranger responded and located the family at 9:14 p.m. They were escorted out to the Garden Parking area. The incident concluded at 9:49 p.m.
Town of North Elba
High Peaks Wilderness
Injured hiker: On Oct. 9 at 3:07 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a radio transmission from a Forest Ranger requesting assistance for a 21-year-old male from Glenwood, Md., with a lower-leg injury on Algonquin Mountain. A DEC Forest Ranger and an Assistant Forest Ranger responded and stabilized the injury. The man was assisted to Marcy Dam and transported by utility terrain vehicle to the Adirondak Loj parking area. He said he would seek medical attention on his own. The incident concluded at 4:15 p.m.
Town of Keene
Giant Mountain Wilderness
Injured hiker: On Oct. 9 at 12:10 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 requesting assistance for a 48-year-old female from Niskayuna injured on Giant Mountain. DEC Forest Rangers responded and located the injured woman. She was stabilized and evaluated. Rangers escorted the woman and her two children to the trailhead. She was taken to an area hospital for further medical treatment. The incident concluded at 1:58 p.m.
Town of Keene
High Peaks Wilderness
Injured hiker: On Oct. 10 at 1:12 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a radio transmission from an Assistant Forest Ranger at Johns Brook Interior Outpost requesting assistance for an injured 19-year-old female from Amherstberg, ON, Canada. She was able to hike to Johns Brook but could not continue from there. New York State Police Aviation responded with a DEC Forest Ranger on board to a landing site at Johns Brook. She was taken by helicopter to an area hospital for further medical treatment. The incident concluded at 3:48 p.m.
Town of Willsboro
Private Lands
Lost hikers: On Oct. 10 at 2:18 p.m., DEC Central Dispatch advised DEC Ray Brook Dispatch of two females (18 and 19 years old) from Plattsburgh lost on Rattlesnake Mountain. The hikers had lost the trail and were on a herd path heading toward Lake Champlain. The hikers’ GPS coordinates were obtained from their cell phones. A DEC Forest Ranger responded to the trailhead and directed the women to follow the drainage path uphill. They were located at 3:58 p.m. in good condition. The hikers returned to their vehicle at 5:03 p.m.
Herkimer County
Town of Webb
Fulton Chain Wild Forest
Injured hiker: On Oct. 9 at 2:44 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Herkimer County 911 requesting assistance for a 51-year-old male from Elba with a non-weight bearing injury on Bald Mountain. DEC Forest Rangers responded with the Old Forge Volunteer Fire Department and the man was packaged for a litter carry. He was carried down to the trailhead to a waiting Old Forge EMS ambulance and taken to an area hospital for further medical treatment. The incident concluded at 5:16 p.m.
Washington County
Town of Fort Ann
Lake George Wild Forest
Lost hikers: On Oct. 3 at 4:38 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a transferred call from Washington County 911 concerning fa 29-year-old female from Catskill, a 32-year-old female from Albany, and a 31-year-old female from Clifton Park lost on Sleeping Beauty Mountain. They were able to provide coordinates from their cell phones. DEC Forest Rangers responded to the Hog Town Parking area. The party was able to hike within a half mile of the parking lot with the assistance of cell phone communication. A Forest Ranger met them and escorted them to their vehicle. The incident concluded at 8:02 p.m.
Orange County
Town of Wallkill
Missing Person: On Saturday, Oct. 8 at 11:56 a.m., DEC Central Dispatch received a call from Orange County Emergency Services asking for assistance in the search for a 13-year-old boy who had been missing since 6 p.m. on October 7. The boy had made recent threats to harm himself. Two rangers were dispatched to assist with the search which involved 40 fire firefighters from the towns of Chester, Circleville, Coldenham, Goshen and Mechanicstown, and 18 police officers from Crawford, Wallkill, Orange County Sheriffs and the State Police. A passerby located the boy walking near the intersection of I-84 and Route 17 in Wallkill at 2:40 p.m. on Oct. 8. He was in good health and was taken to the Orange Regional Medical Center for further evaluation.
Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28708.html) and Adirondack Backcountry Information (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7865.html) webpage for more information.
