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Adirondack Forest Ranger Search and Rescue Highlights: 10/05-10/11/15

October 14th, 2015 · No Comments · Adirondack News

NYSDEC LogoNew 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 Acting DEC Commissioner Marc Gerstman. “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
Town of Jay – Private Land
Lost Individual: On October 6, 2015 at 9:39 a.m. Essex County 911 transferred a call to DEC Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a lost 60-year-old woman from Jay, NY. The woman followed her dog into a wooded area on private property and could not find her way out. Essex County 911 provided the woman’s GPS coordinates to DEC Dispatch. A DEC Forest Ranger responded and located the woman at 10:58 a.m. in good condition. The Ranger escorted her back to her vehicle.

Town of Keene – Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area
Lost Hikers: On October 10, 2015 at 6:03 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance from two hikers who had gone off trail coming down Weston Mountain to Crow Clearing. Essex County 911 obtained GPS coordinates which placed the 34-year-old woman and 28-year-old man, both from Chicago, IL approximately 30-40 yards off trail. DEC Forest Rangers responded to Crow Clearing and headed in the hikers direction, based on the coordinates. Rangers located the pair on the trail at 7:28 p.m., gave them food and water and escorted them back to the trailhead. The incident concluded 8:30 p.m.

Town of Keene – High Peaks Wilderness
Overdue Hikers: On October 10, 2015 at 10:22 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker reporting that two members of his hiking party, a 22-year-old woman and 24-year-old man, both from Buffalo, NY had not returned from hiking Gothics. A DEC Forest Ranger responded to the Garden parking lot and interviewed the reporting party. Rangers determined it would be best to start searching for the subjects at first light the following morning. At 6:30 a.m., three Forest Rangers began searching for the missing hikers via the Garden parking lot. Dispatch received a call from the reporting party at 9:50 a.m. that the missing hikers found their way out and returned to the Wilmington Notch Campground where they were staying. Forest Rangers aborted their search efforts after being notified.

Town of North Elba – High Peaks Wilderness
Injured Hiker: On October 11, 2015 at 4:32 p.m., DEC Ray Brook received a call from a hiker reporting that a 31-year-old female member of her hiking party sustained a lower leg injury. It happened during a hike from Lake Arnold, approximately one mile from Marcy Dam. Members of the hiking party assisted the injured woman to Marcy Dam. Ray Brook Dispatch contacted the Marcy Dam caretaker to meet the party and assist in transporting her to the outpost, while a DEC Forest Ranger responded to Marcy Dam on a Utility Terrain Vehicle. The Ranger transported the woman back to her vehicle where she said she would seek medical attention on her own. The incident concluded at 7:00 p.m.

Franklin County
Town of Brighton – St. Regis Canoe Area
Lost Hunter: On October 10, 2015 at 4:30 p.m., campus safety at Paul Smith’s College contacted DEC Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a lost student. The 26-year-old man from Elma, NY went hunting off Keese Mills Rd. near the college and did not return. DEC Forest Rangers responded to the area and located the man’s vehicle. Dispatch advised the hunter to call Franklin County 911 to obtain coordinates from his phone. The coordinates provided were inaccurate and Rangers determined the man was farther away than anticipated. Rangers used shouting and gun shots to locate the man at 9:36 p.m. and then escorted him to his vehicle. The incident concluded at 10:30 p.m.

Herkimer County
Town of Webb – Fulton Chain Wild Forest
Injured Hiker: On October 10, 2015 at 2:12 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Herkimer County 911 requesting assistance for a 54-year-old woman from Syracuse, NY with a leg injury on Bald Mountain. DEC Forest Rangers arrived on scene and headed up the mountain along with Webb Police and the Old Forge Fire and Rescue Squad. They packaged the woman at the summit and carried her down to the trailhead. Once at the trailhead she told Rangers she would seek medical attention on her own. The incident concluded at 4:46 p.m.

Warren County
Town of Bolton – Cat and Thomas Mountain Preserve Conservation Easement Lands
Lost Hikers: On October 7, 2015 at 5:55 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call reporting a 59-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman, both from Sarasota, FL became disoriented while hiking the Cat and Thomas Mountain Preserve Trail and could not determine which trail to take back to the trailhead. The hikers called 911 requesting assistance. A DEC Forest Ranger responded to the trailhead on Valley Woods Road in Bolton Landing, located the man and woman at 9:00 p.m., and escorted them back to the trailhead by 10:30 p.m.

Town of Bolton – Lake George Wild Forest
Lost Hikers: On October 9, 2015 at 11:44 a.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker and his companion reporting they were lost on the South Trail, 5th Point Peak, in the Tongue Mountain Range. The men, both 29, one from Saratoga Springs, NY and the other from Troy, NY became disoriented that morning after camping on 5th Peak. Warren County 911 obtained GPS coordinates that placed the men close to the shoreline of Lake George. DEC Forest Rangers used a boat from Green Island to travel up Lake George to their location. The Rangers located the men at 1:58 p.m. in good condition and transported them to Green Island by boat. Rangers then gave the men a ride from a Forest Ranger Patrol vehicle back to their own vehicle parked at the 5th Peak trailhead. The incident concluded at 3:00 p.m.

Washington County
Town of Fort Ann – Lake George Wild Forest
Lost Hikers: On October 11, 2015 at 6:30 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Washington County 911 reporting two hikers lost near Inman Pond. Two DEC Forest Rangers responded to the Inman Pond Trailhead. At 7:00 p.m. the 64-year-old man from Charlton, NY and the 61-year-old woman from Saratoga Springs, NY contacted DEC Ray Brook Dispatch via cell phone. Dispatch instructed the lost hikers on how to get coordinates from their iPhone and then relayed those coordinates to the Forest Rangers at the trailhead. At approximately 7:47 p.m., Forest Rangers located the hikers and escorted them back to the trailhead without further incident.

Town of Fort Ann – Lake George Wild Forest
Injured Hiker: On October 12, 2015 at 2:37 p.m., DEC Ray Brook received a call from a passing hiker reporting an injured female hiker approximately 1/2 mile from the summit of Sleeping Beauty. DEC Forest Rangers responded to the Dacy Clearing Parking area. The West Ft. Ann Fire and Rescue Squad also responded and set up a staging area at the Upper Hogtown parking area. Rangers located the 48-year-old woman from Gansevoort, NY at 3:39 p.m. and provided her with first aid for the injury. They escorted her out to the trailhead where Fort Ann EMS assessed her and she declined any additional medical treatment. The incident concluded at 4:31 p.m.

Town of Fort Ann – Lake George Wild Forest
Injured Hiker: On October 12, 2015 at 4:00 p.m., DEC Forest Rangers responded to a report of a 46-year-old woman from Clifton Park, NY with a lower leg injury along the Sleeping Beauty trail system. Rangers assessed the woman and provided first aid before escorting her out to the trailhead where the Fort Ann EMS assessed her further. The woman then declined any additional medical treatment. The incident concluded at 4:31 p.m.

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

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Adirondack Forest Ranger Search and Rescue Highlights: 9/21-9/27/15

September 29th, 2015 · No Comments · Adirondack News

NYSDEC LogoNew 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 Acting DEC Commissioner Marc Gerstman. “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
Town of North Elba – McKenzie Mountain Wilderness
Lost Hiker: On September 24, 2015, at 8:45 p.m., Essex County 911 transferred a call from a lost hiker to DEC Central Dispatch. The 53-year-old man said he had wandered off the Haystack trail approximately a ½ mile to 1 mile from State Route 86. DEC Forest Rangers responded to the area, located the man and escorted him back to the trailhead. The incident concluded at 11:00 p.m.

Town of North Elba – High Peaks Wilderness
Stranded Hikers: On September 27, 2015, at 11:38 a.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two hikers stuck on a ledge on the Trap Dike, a popular climbing route on Colden. The 24-year-old woman from Cold Spring, NY and the 32-year-old man from Rochester, NY had attempted to exit the Trap Dike too early and became trapped on a ledge at 3400 feet in elevation. New York State Police Aviation inserted two DEC Forest Rangers into Lake Colden just after 1:00 p.m. They climbed up to the ledge and reached the hikers at 2:49 p.m. Rangers put the hikers into harnesses and slowly lowered from the ledge and down the Trap Dike to the base. The Rangers and hikers returned to the base at 4:47 p.m. The hikers then returned to their campsite near Lake Colden.

Franklin County
Town of Harrietstown – High Peaks Wilderness
Injured Hiker: On September 26, 2015, at 4:08 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call requesting assistance for an injured 66-year-old woman from Syracuse, NY. The woman sustained a lower leg injury while hiking down the back side of Donaldson Mountain on the Calkins Brook Trail. DEC Forest Rangers responded on a 6×6 and met the woman approximately two miles in on the Horse Trail. They assessed hear and transported her out. The woman said she would seek medical attention on her own. The incident concluded at 6:15 p.m.

Hamilton County
Town of Arietta – West Canada Lakes Wilderness
Injured Hiker: On September 23, 2015, at 1:11 p.m., the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office advised DEC Ray Brook Dispatch of a SOS beacon call it received. The beacon call came from the shore line of West Lake. At 1:25 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from the hiking partner of an injured 38-year-old woman. The caller advised that there was another hiker at the scene who had activated his SOS beacon. Dispatch notified a DEC Forest Ranger who was in the air with New York State Police Aviation in the town of Arietta. NYSP Aviation picked up an additional Forest Ranger at Indian Lake to assist in the rescue. Forest Rangers were inserted to the woman’s location and conducted an assessment. Ranger then packaged and hoisted the woman. The helicopter too her to Piseco Airport. Once there, the injured woman was transferred to local EMS for further medical treatment. EMS determined additional treatment was needed and transferred her to Albany Medical Center.

Herkimer County
Town of Russia – Private Land
Missing Person: On September 22, 2015 at 6:10 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Herkimer County 911 reporting a missing 91-year-old male from Russia, NY, last seen at 5:30 p.m. State Police responded to the scene and requested assistance from DEC Forest Rangers and Environmental Conservation Officers. They located the man at 9:15 p.m. and escorted him out of the woods. Local EMS assessed him and released him to his family.

Washington County
Town of Dresden – Lake George Wild Forest
Lost Hikers: On September 27, 2015, at 7:44 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call transferred from Warren County 911 from two lost hikers on Black Mountain. The 16-year-old female and 16-year-old male, both from Albany, had left at 4:00 p.m. from the Pike Brook Road to hike to the summit of Black Mountain and had become lost after leaving the summit. Warren County 911 provided an initial set of coordinates that placed the youths between the summits of Black Mountain and Sleeping Beauty. Dispatch immediately established text contact and directed the hikers to call 911 again to confirm the initial coordinates but the hikers were unable to do so. Two DEC Forest Rangers continued to the area of the initial coordinates given. At 10:54 p.m., the first Forest Ranger reached the location of the initial 911 coordinates but did not locate the pair. Dispatch directed them to call 911 again to try to re-bid coordinates. This third time, 911 was able to obtain cell phone coordinates that were 2.8 miles away from the first location and on the west side of Black Mountain, approximately 3/4 of a mile from Black Mountain Point on the shores of Lake George. A Forest Ranger overheard the radio traffic and inquired if the hikers had an iPhone. Dispatch was able to determine from the texts that the hikers did have an iPhone. Per the third Ranger, Dispatch directed the hikers to open the Compass application as it should also have coordinates. Dispatch had them send a screen shot of the compass app and plotted the coordinates, which confirmed the third and most recent 911 coordinates. The third Ranger then responded by boat to Black Mountain Point while the hikers were directed to hike downhill on the trail to Lake George. At 12:53 a.m. the hikers reached the Forest Ranger boat and were taken to a Forest Ranger vehicle at 1:30 a.m, which transported them to waiting family members by 2:30 a.m.

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

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Adirondack Forest Ranger Search and Rescue Highlights: 8/31 – 9/7/15

September 8th, 2015 · No Comments · Adirondack News

NYSDEC LogoNew 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 Acting Commissioner Marc Gerstman. “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:

Clinton County
Town of Black Brook – Taylor Pond Wild Forest
Distressed hiker: On September 5 at 3:00 p.m., DEC Ray Brook received a call from the hiking partner of a 27-year-old male from Purling, NY reporting the man was in medical distress. The pair were descending Catamount Mountain and his companion had become too weak to continue. A DEC Forest Ranger responded, met the men on the trail and provided fluids to rehydrate the ill man. The Rangers escorted the pair back to the trailhead at 5:19 p.m.

Essex County
Town of Wilmington – Whiteface Mountain Ski Area
Lost hikers: On August 31 at 10:20 p.m. DEC Central Dispatch was notified of a 22-year-old male and 22-year-old female from Montreal, QC lost on Whiteface Mountain. The pair had taken the Whiteface Mountain Gondola up the mountain and then bushwhacked to the top of the mountain. They reached the summit late in the evening and were not prepared to hike in the darkness. A DEC Forest Ranger responded to the Whiteface Memorial Highway and met the two approximately one mile up the road. They were transported back to their vehicle at Whiteface Mountain Ski Area at 2:00 a.m.

Town of North Elba – High Peaks Wilderness
Injured hiker: On September 5 at noon, the Cascade Summit Steward notified DEC Ray Brook Dispatch of an injured 18-year-old female from Oswego, NY on the trail between Cascade Mountain and Porter Mountain with a non-weight bearing injury. DEC Forest Rangers stabilized the woman for an aviation rescue and New York State Police Aviation hoisted her off the summit. She was transported to Adirondack Medical Center in Lake Placid for further medical treatment.

Town of North Hudson – High Peaks Wilderness
Lost hikers: On September 5 at 12:20 a.m., DEC Central Dispatch was notified of three male hikers who had failed to meet their ride at the predetermined location after hiking Mount Marcy. The 21-year-old, 20-year-old, and 17-year-old all from Dundee, NY had been dropped off at the Panther Lake trailhead at 7:00 a.m. During their decent, darkness fell upon them and they became disoriented causing them to walk two extra miles. They did not have any flashlights or headlamps. A DEC Forest Ranger located the men near the Elk Lake parking area and provided them with a courtesy ride to Lake Harris Campground where they were staying. The incident concluded at 4:45 a.m.

Town of North Elba – High Peaks Wilderness
Distressed hiker: On September 7 at 11:15 a.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance for a 34-year-old male from Birdsboro, PA in medical distress on the north end of Avalanche Lake. He had encountered the Lake Colden Caretaker who rowed him across Avalanche Lake while DEC Forest Rangers and Assistant Forest Rangers responded. The man had become immobile and was unable to walk on his own. A carry out was organized from Avalanche Lake down Misery Mile to Marcy Dam. At 8:24p.m. Forest Rangers transferred him to an awaiting All-Terrain Vehicle and provided him with a ride to his vehicle and were advised he would seek medical attention on his own.

Herkimer County
Town of Webb – Fulton Chain Wild Forest
Injured hiker: On September 7, at 3:10 p.m. Herkimer County 911 contacted DEC Ray Brook Dispatch regarding an injured 27-year-old female hiker from Cato, NY halfway up Bald Mountain. Six DEC Forest Rangers responded with Fire Department members from Old Forge, Eagle Bay and the town of Webb Rescue Squad. The hiker was carried back to the trailhead. She was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in Utica for treatment.

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

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