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 Keene
Giant Mountain Wilderness
Injured hiker: On July 2, 2016 at 9:29 a.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for assistance from Essex County 911 for a 62-year-old man from Veiwing, NJ with a possible leg injury on Baxter Mountain. DEC Forest Rangers arrived on scene, located the injured man and administered first aid. He was assisted back to the trailhead where he said he would seek further medical treatment on his own. The incident concluded at 12:25 p.m.
Town of North Elba
High Peaks Wilderness
Injured hiker: On July 3, 2016 at 3:30 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for assistance from Essex County 911 for a 46-year-old man from Manlius, NY with a possible lower leg injury on Porter Mountain. DEC Forest Rangers responded and requested New York State Police Aviation assistance. Forest Rangers reached the injured man at 4:50 p.m. and stabilized his injury. At 5:45 p.m. the State Police helicopter transported him to a local hospital for further medical treatment.
Franklin County
Town of Franklin
Private Land
Lost individual: On July 3, 2016 at 12:18 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call transferred from Franklin County 911 from a woman reporting her 39-year-old boyfriend from Vermontville, NY was lost in the woods near Onchiota. DEC Forest Rangers and the New York State Police responded and located the man on private property approximately 100 feet from the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest state land boundary. He needed medical attention so Saranac Lake EMS transported him to a local area hospital. The incident concluded at 2:40 p.m.
Warren County
Town of Warrensburg
Private Land
Lost hikers: On July 1, 2016, at 11:00 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Warren County 911 reporting a 21-year-old man from Bayshore, NY and a 23-year-old man from Saugerties, NY, lost at a private campground in Warrensburg. A DEC Forest Ranger responded and located the men at 1:00 a.m. in good health. The Ranger escorted them back to their vehicles and the incident concluded at 2:05 a.m.
Town of Bolton
Lake George Wild Forest
Injured hiker: On July 4, 2016 at 3:35 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received two calls transferred from Warren County 911 from members of a separated hiking party on Tongue Mountain. One call came from the parents of a 14-year-old boy from Hamilton, NJ, saying they had become separated from their son. At approximately the same time the son called for assistance stating he was lost off trail. Warren County 911 provided GPS coordinates for the lost hiker that matched the coordinates texted to dispatch via a screenshot from the boy. A DEC Forest Ranger responded to the Clay Meadow trailhead and hiked to the coordinates. The Ranger located the hiker at 6:50 p.m. in good health and reunited him with his parents. The incident concluded at 7:35 p.m.
Washington County
Town of Fort Ann
Lake George Wild Forest
Injured hiker: On June 29, 2016 at 11:57 a.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for assistance from Warren County 911 for a 54-year-old man from Lakeville, MN with a lower leg injury approximately two miles up Buck Mountain on the Pilot Knob side. DEC Forest Rangers arrived on scene and traveled by a 6x6 Utility Terrain Vehicle up the trail as far as they could go. After a brief walk up the trail, Rangers noticed the injured man being assisted down the mountain by members of the public. Rangers helped him to the UTV and transported him to the Buck Mountain Trailhead where he said he would seek medical treatment on his own. The incident concluded at 1:30 p.m. West Queensbury EMS and the Pilot Knob Fire Department assisted in the rescue.
Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28708.html) webpage and Adirondack Backcountry Information (http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7865.html) webpage for more information.
