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.

“DEC Forest Rangers’ knowledge of first aid, land navigation and technical rescue techniques are often critical to the success of their missions,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. “Search and rescue missions often require Rangers to function in remote wilderness areas from rugged mountainous peaks to white-water rivers, and through vast forest areas from spruce-fir thicket to open hardwoods.”

Recent missions carried out by DEC Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks include:

Essex County
Dix Mountain Wilderness, Town of North Hudson
Lost Hikers: On January 1, 2015 at 7:15 p.m. the father of a 34-year-old female from Schenectady, notified a DEC Lieutenant Forest Ranger that his daughter and her hiking companion, a 54-year-old male also of Schenectady, NY, had attempted to climb the Dix Range. He said the hikers called to tell him they had missed several turns and were not at their intended destination. An additional Forest Ranger and the Lieutenant drove to the trailhead, hiked in two miles and located the pair on the trail. The Rangers escorted the pair back to their vehicle.

Warren County
Lake George Wild Forest, Lake George
Distressed Hikers: On January 1, 2015 at 5:15 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance from four hikers who were near the summit of Prospect Mountain and were unprepared for the conditions. Dispatch gave the hikers, a 55-year-old male, a 55-year-old female, a 25-year-old female and a 22-year-old female, all of Macungi, PA, directions to Prospect Mountain Road. Two DEC Forest Rangers on snowmobiles traveling up the road, located the hikers at 6:47 p.m., and transported them down the mountain to the parking lot. They were evaluated and released at 7:17 p.m.

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety and Adirondack Trail Information web for more information.