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.
Cattaraugus County
Town of Conewango
Wilderness Search: On Oct. 18 at 2:30 a.m., Forest Rangers Krulish and Kennedy responded to a search for a 25-year-old man from Conewango who had walked away from his home. Attempts from friends and neighbors to locate the subject on Sunday evening were not successful. Forest Rangers instructed the searchers to look in the houses and barns of anyone with ties to the young man. Early on Monday morning, the subject was located in a relative’s home and Rangers were clear of the scene at 6:30 a.m.
Essex County
Town of Newcomb
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 16 at 1:50 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a report from passing hikers that a person with a dislocated shoulder was requesting assistance on the Opalescent Trail in the High Peaks Wilderness Area. Operations Caretakers Engel and Bastien responded from the Lake Colden Outpost and intercepted the injured hiker on the lower section of the Opalescent Trail. Due to severe thunderstorms, the caretakers planned to return to the outpost with the injured hiker. Once at the outpost, they successfully provided first aid to the dislocated shoulder of the 31-year-old woman from Albany. After the storms passed, the caretakers and the hiker met up with Forest Ranger Martin and Assistant Forest Ranger Adams near the trailhead. At 7:15 p.m., the hikers and rescuers were out to the trailhead and the patient transferred to Newcomb Ambulance for transport to a local hospital.
Hamilton County
Speculator Tree Farm
Storm Damage Response: On Oct. 16 at 4:07 p.m., Forest Rangers Thompson and Scott assisted the Speculator and Lake Pleasant Fire Departments, town workers, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office with tree removal from the roadways in the Speculator Tree Farm. Trees fell during a storm and trapped several hunters and an Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO). No injuries or property damage were reported, but the tree prevented their ability to leave the property. At 5:07 p.m., all roadways were clear of trees and everyone trapped was out safely.
Herkimer County
Town of Webb
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 17 at 11:08 p.m., Herkimer County 911 contacted Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a 52-year-old man from Lowville was overdue from hunting. The hunter’s family became concerned when he didn’t return after dark and they located his vehicle at the intersection of Stillwater and Basket Factory roads in the Independence River Wild Forest. County 911 advised that an officer from the Town of Webb Police Department was responding to the intersection to meet the reporting party. Forest Rangers Hanno and Thomes responded to assist. At 1:05 a.m., Ranger Hanno advised Dispatch that they guided the missing hunter out to their location using sirens. The subject was in good health and required no additional assistance.
Lewis County
Town of Osceola
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m., Lewis County 911 contacted DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a lost hunter in the East Fish Creek Easement. Forest Ranger Hanno and Lt. Nowalk responded to the coordinates provided by 911. Once on scene, Rangers found the hunter’s vehicle and proceeded toward a cellphone ping locating the 35-year-old man from Benson, VT, about one mile away along the Salmon River. At 1:55 p.m., the hunter and Rangers were out of the woods and clear of the scene.
Town of Lyonsdale
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 11 at 3:13 p.m., Forest Ranger Hanno overheard radio traffic about an injured hiker along the Moose River. Ranger Hanno responded to the location and assisted the Port Leyden Fire Department and Lewis County Search and Rescue with packaging the 65-year-old woman from Port Lyden into a litter. The subject fell and injured her right wrist, ankle, and head while hiking. At 4:31 p.m., the injured hiker and rescue personnel were out of the woods and a Port Leyden Ambulance transported the hiker to a local hospital for treatment.
Warren County
Town of Lake George
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 15 at 10:50 a.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch from a 29-year-old runner from Brooklyn lost on an old forest road on the side of Prospect Mountain. Coordinates placed the runner close to the road, but without a map or compass to navigate the area, Forest Ranger Donegan responded to assist. At 11:58 a.m., Ranger Donegan located the runner at the coordinates provided by 911 and both were back out to Memorial Highway and clear of the scene at 12:20 p.m.
Town of Lake Luzerne
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 17 at 7:10 p.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a 75-year-old man from Lake Luzerne had injured his left arm after falling in the woods. The caller advised he was having difficulty walking and attributed it to his diabetes. Forest Rangers Donegan and Savarie responded to the hiker’s location, stabilized his injury, and escorted him out of the woods at 8:45 p.m. The Rangers gave the subject a courtesy ride back to his home where he advised he would seek further medical assistance on his own.
Read past Forest Ranger search and rescue reports here.
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