New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. 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.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers.
Essex County
Town of North Elba
Wilderness Rescue: On January 18th at 8:57 am, Forest Ranger Acting Lt. Burns was notified of a hiker with a possible hip dislocation on Cobble Hill in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest. Three Forest Rangers responded to assist. Once on scene, Forest Rangers evaluated the 52-year-old woman from Lake Placid. After placing her in a vacuum split, the Rangers packaged the subject into a litter and sled. The hiker was brought to the trailhead and transferred to the Lake Placid Volunteer Ambulance Service for additional medical treatment. All Rangers were back in service 10:24 am.
Greene County
Town of Hunter
Wilderness Rescue: On January 12th at 6 pm, DEC’s Central Office Dispatch received a call from Greene County 911 regarding two lost hikers on Layman’s Monument Trail near Kaaterskill Falls. After notification, Forest Ranger Fox contacted the hikers on their cellphone and ascertained their location and condition. The hikers from New York City informed Ranger Fox they were at Layman’s Monument on the Escarpment Trail with no injuries, but needed assistance hiking out due to darkness and icy trail conditions. Ranger Fox and Acting Lt. Breigle responded to the trailhead, along with the Hunter Police Department. Rangers located the hikers a mile in on the Escarpment Trail and provided them with hand/feet warmers, head lamps, and micro spikes. The group then proceeded to hike back out to the Lauren House Road trailhead and Rangers were clear of the scene at 8:20 pm.
Be Prepared: Properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety webpage.
Leave a Reply