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 2018, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 346 search and rescue missions, extinguished 105 wildfires that burned a total of 845 acres, participated in 24 prescribed fires that burned and rejuvenated 610 acres, and worked on cases that resulted in 2,354 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 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."

Town of Brighton
Franklin County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 18 at 10:46 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from the International Rescue Coordination Center advising that a locator beacon had been activated by a 41-year-old Albany man. Coordinates placed the subject on the Osgood River north of Mountain Pond. Forest Ranger Thomas Gliddi responded and located the man's vehicle at 11:49 p.m. and proceeded into the woods. The man was located at 12:30 a.m. along with a 41-year-old female companion from Wilmington. The couple had kayaked earlier in the day and ventured down Osgood River not realizing they were going the wrong way. The pair had intended to go to Meacham Lake but headed in the direction of Hays Brook. By the time they realized their mistake, the couple had run out of daylight and were unprepared for an overnight stay. They parked their kayaks and began to bushwhack through the woods to get to the Grasse Pond Trail. Forest Ranger Gliddi provided the pair with warm clothes, escorted them out of the woods, and gave them a courtesy ride back to their vehicle by 1:45 a.m.

Town of Keene
Essex County
Wildland Fire: On Sept. 18, DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received several calls from hikers in the High Peaks reporting smoke in the Giant Mountain Wilderness. Several Rangers responded and located a smoldering groundfire adjacent to the Washbowl campsites. Keene and Keene Valley Volunteer Fire Departments were activated and assisted with the relay of equipment and construction of the fire line. The fire was contained to half an acre in size. A New York State Police Aviation unit was requested and was able to insert pumps and additional resources. Over the next several days the fire was put out by Forest Rangers. State Police Aviation was deployed to retrieve equipment from the scene. The fire is believed to have been caused by an unextinguished campfire. 

Smoldering embers of forest fire in Giant Mountain Wilderness (photo attached)

Towns of Thompson and Forestburg
Sullivan County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 19 at 1:30 p.m., two female hikers from Middletown and Monticello entered the Neversink Unique Area to hike to the gorge. At 4:30 p.m., one of the hikers called her boyfriend stating that they were lost, and he arrived at the location and tried locating them himself. At approximately 7:30 p.m., the boyfriend called Sullivan County 911 advising them of the lost hikers. Sullivan County 911 contacted DEC’s Central Office Dispatch requesting Forest Ranger assistance. Forest Rangers Matthew Hettenbaugh, Mark Brand, Patrick Lee, and Erik Stratton responded to the parking lot at the end of Katrina Falls Road where the lost hikers had parked their vehicles. With the assistance of State Police Aviation, the lost hikers were located along the Neversink River. Forest Rangers, along with State Police and Forestburg Fire Department personnel, hiked down to the river and located the hikers. The group then escorted the hikers out of the woods and returned them to their vehicles by 4 a.m. After interviews with the hikers, Rangers learned that the pair had hiked on the blue trail until it ended, but then continued down to the river. When they realized they were lost, they started a fire along the river to stay warm.  

Town of Collins
Erie County
Wilderness Search and Rescue: On Sept. 19 at 1:30 p.m., Lt. Martin Flanagan was contacted by Cattaraugus County 911 Dispatch about a 40-year-old female hiker from Buffalo who had broken her arm and was stranded in Zoar Valley.  Forest Rangers John Kennedy and Wayne Krulish responded along with Assistant Forest Ranger Lindsay Feather and Lt. Flanagan. The hiker’s companion was located by Erie Air 1, State Police, an Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy, and a volunteer from the Collins Fire Department. The woman and her dog were trapped on a steep slope leading to a vertical face, about 100 feet above the gorge floor. Lt. Flanagan obtained GPS coordinates and equipment and personnel were brought in from the Erie County Rope Team, which included members from Erie County Sheriff’s SWAT, Seneca Hose, Hillcrest, West Falls, Gowanda, Orchard Park, East Aurora, North Boston, and Eden Fire Departments. Two rescuers were lowered via rope system to the woman, who was assessed and safely lowered to the gorge floor. Erie Air 1 Helicopter transported the subject to a waiting Gowanda ambulance, she was assessed, treated for minor injuries, and released.

Erie Air 1 begins to transport the injured woman from Zoar Valley gorge; Forest Ranger helps establish a rope system to lower rescuers to the ledge (two photos attached)