New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. 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.
Washington County
Town of Dresden
Snowmobile Accident: On Feb. 3 at 7:18 a.m., Washington County 911 requested Forest Ranger assistance with a snowmobile accident near Lapland Pond in Dresden. Forest Rangers Pouton and St. Claire responded. The 38-year-old snowmobiler from Putnam had suffered a broken pelvis. Rangers assisted with first aid, packaged the subject in a rescue toboggan, and pulled him by snowmobile to the trailhead at 11 a.m. The subject was transferred to a Dresden Ambulance and taken to the hospital. Resources were clear at 11:18 a.m.
Hamilton County
Town of Long Lake
Snowmobile Accident: On Feb. 5 at 2 p.m., Essex County 911 requested Forest Ranger assistance for a snowmobile accident on the Moonshine Pond Trail near Mohegan Lake. Forest Rangers Balerno and Milano responded. The 43-year-old snowmobiler from Ohio had lost control, rolled, and crashed into a tree. At 2:50 p.m., Long Lake Fire and EMS reached the subject, provided care, and packaged her in their Trak vehicle and rescue toboggan. The subject was taken by ambulance to a hospital for head and wrist injuries. Ranger Milano helped the rest of the snowmobiling party out of the woods safely. Resources were clear at 3:25 p.m.
Greene County
Town of Hunter
Dog Recovery: On Feb. 7 at 2:45 p.m., Forest Rangers responded to a request to recover a deceased dog at the Lower Falls of Kaaterskill Falls. Rangers Allwine, Dawson, Fox, Jackson, and Petit responded with technical gear to reach the dog in the icy conditions. The unleashed dachshund got away from its owner, slipped, and hit a fence. At 3:35 p.m., Rangers returned the deceased dog to its owner.
BE PREPARED:
Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information, and Catskill Backcountry Information webpages for more information.
If a person needs a Forest Ranger, whether it’s for a search and rescue, to report a wildfire, or to report illegal activity on state lands and easements, they should call 833-NYS-RANGERS. If a person needs urgent assistance, they can call 911. To contact a Forest Ranger for information about a specific location, the DEC website has phone numbers for every Ranger listed by region.
Read past Forest Ranger search and rescue reports here.
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