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 the backcountry.
In 2016, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 356 search and rescue missions, extinguished 185 wildfires that burned a total of 4,191 acres, and worked on cases that resulted in nearly 3,000 tickets or arrests.
“Across New York, DEC 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 is 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:
Washington County
Town of Fort Ann
Rescue: At 1:30 p.m. on May 30, Washington County 911 reported that a 27-year-old female was ill and needed assistance in the Shelving Rock area of the Lake George Wild Forest. A Forest Ranger was dispatched to the scene along with Fort Ann EMS. The subject was located at the Hogtown Parking Lot off Shelving Rock Road, given medical care on scene, and transported to a local hospital by Fort Ann EMS.
Orange County
Town of New Windsor
Search: At about 6:40 p.m. on May 30, the New Windsor Police Department called DEC Central Dispatch requesting Forest Ranger assistance to search for a missing 83-year-old male. The subject was reported to be suffering from dementia. He was last seen at his residence on Bull Road at approximately 5:30 p.m. The residence is near Stewart State Forest. Rangers responded along with local police and New York State Police (NYSP) Aviation. The man was located just before 8:30 p.m. by a NYSP helicopter and returned to his family at his residence. The operation was concluded by 10:25 p.m.
Greene County
Town of Palenville
Search: At 11:30 a.m. on May 31, Forest Rangers were called to search for a lost New Jersey couple on a day hike from North South Lake Campground to Inspiration Point on the Escarpment Trail. At the Catskill Mountain House site, the pair left the marked trail and followed an unmarked path. They continued until they became disoriented in thick vegetation and called North South Lake Campground for assistance. A Forest Ranger was notified by the campground staff through DEC Central Dispatch and responded to the Catskill Mountain House site. With the assistance of a phone interview and GPS coordinates, a Ranger located the hikers south of Escarpment Trail and escorted them back to the parking area.
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) webpages for more information.
