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.
Greene County
Town of Windham
Wilderness Rescue: On April 2nd at approximately 8:30 pm, DEC Dispatch notified Forest Ranger Fox of a hiker who was vomiting and unable to continue hiking in the Elm Ridge Wild Forest. Ranger Fox made contact with the subject, a 77-year-old from Farmingdale, who was experiencing nausea and weakness. After determining the subject’s location on the Escarpment Trail, Rangers Fox, Gullen, and Mitchell hiked in to meet him and his hiking partner, who were slowly continuing. Rangers provided hot fluids and food and started a fire to warm the pair. Eventually, the subject recovered enough strength to continue. Rangers carried his pack and assisted the subject out of the woods. Rangers provided a courtesy transport to the subject’s vehicle at the East Windham trailhead. Resources were clear at 2:30 am.
Essex County
Town of Keene
Wilderness Rescue: On April 3rd at 9:30 am, Forest Rangers Evans and Lewis responded to a call for an injured hiker on Big Slide Mountain. At 11:25 am, Ranger Evans found the 34-year-old from Scotia, splinted the hiker’s injured shoulder, and helped her to the trailhead. Ranger Lewis and Keene Valley EMS were hiking up from the Garden trailhead and met the group to provide pain medication. Rangers assisted the subject back to the trailhead at approximately 1 pm.
Hamilton County
Town of Wells
Wilderness Rescue: On April 3rd at 3:14 pm, Forest Ranger Nally overheard a Hamilton County radio call for an injured subject on the Auger Falls trail. Ranger Nally responded with Wells Fire, Speculator Fire, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputies, New York State Police, and ambulances from Greater Amsterdam Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Wells Ambulance. A Sheriff’s Deputy located the 61-year-old from Connecticut, who was hiking up from the falls when he fell and injured his right knee. A passing hiker saw the subject and drove into Speculator to call for help. Ranger Nally worked with other rescuers to splint the subject’s leg before packaging him into a wheeled litter. The subject was then transported by Wells ambulance to the hospital. Resources were clear by 4 pm.
Read past Forest Ranger search and rescue reports here.
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