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.
Ulster County
Town of Shandaken
Wilderness Rescue: On February 27th at 12:15 pm, Forest Ranger Slade heard a 911 report of an injured hiker on the Menla Resort property. According to the report, a hiker was attempting a two-mile loop on the resort’s blue trail, which is steep and had not been broken in by other hikers. Approximately one mile into the loop, the hiker fell 20 feet down an embankment and dislocated her left shoulder. A member of her party hiked down to the resort and placed the call for help. Ranger Slade responded, and due to the heavy snowpack, requested additional Rangers to assist. At 2:15 pm, rescuers arrived at the hiker’s location. The 52-year-old woman from New York City was experiencing pain from her injured, left shoulder and was mildly hypothermic. Once warmed up, rescuers provided first aid for the subject’s injury by placing her left arm into a sling and securing it to her torso. The hiker was assisted back up to the trail and began the slow walk out on her own power while rescuers assisted breaking in the trail ahead. The hiker made it off the trail at 5:15 pm, was treated by Shandaken Paramedics, and transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment.
Warren County
Town of Lake George
Ice Rescue: On Febrary 25th at 4 pm, Forest Ranger Donegan was notified of a snowmobile accident on Lake George with the snowmobiler still in the water. Ranger Donegan responded to the scene adjacent to a local marina while Forest Rangers Kabrehl, Perryman, and Lt. Kallen responded to a launch site with Airboat 54. Ranger Donegan donned a cold-water rescue suit, went into the water to look for the man, but could not immediately find him. A diver with the North Queensbury Fire Department then located the 35-year-old man from the Bronx, and together with Ranger Donegan and members of the Bay Ridge and Lake George fire departments, removed him from the water. Ranger Donegan and a Sheriff’s Deputy immediately began life-saving measures. The individual was turned over to the local EMS and transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Rangers stayed on scene with the airboat to assist the Warren County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.
Be Prepared: Properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety webpage.
After reading the latest version of Rangers Respond, my respect for DEC Forest Ranger Donegan, Kabrehl, Perryman et al just rose even higher than it already was. Thank you for your heroic efforts to save lives throughout the year and for your overall service in the woods and on the waters of NYS.