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.
Chenango County
Town of Pitcher
Wildland Search: On May 6th at approximately 10 pm, Forest Rangers were called to the town of Pitcher to assist with a search for two missing children, ages seven and nine. The children were last seen playing outside and were believed lost in a wooded area near their home. Ranger Lieutenant Wickens, and Rangers Chappell, Oldroyd, and Seeley began to search for the children. At 4:45 am the following morning, Ranger Chappell located the children in the woods, cold but otherwise in good condition. The children were evaluated by EMS and reunited with their parents. Also assisting in the search was DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officer Rigoli, the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department, New York State Police, the Chenango County Search Team, Cincinnatus Fire Department, and Cincinnatus EMS.
Essex County
Town of North Elba
Wilderness Rescue: On May 8th at 7:45 pm, Ray Brook dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance with a hiker on the Van Hoevenberg trail with a knee injury. Ranger Praczkajlo met the 42-year-old from Monroe and her hiking partner at Marcy Dam and helped the pair back to their vehicle at the Adirondak Loj. The subject declined medical attention and resources were clear at 9:15 pm.
Greene County
Town of Windham
Wilderness Rescue: On May 8th at 12:17 pm, Forest Rangers Allwine and Dawson responded to a report of a hiker with an ankle injury on the escarpment trail of Blackhead Mountain. The Rangers reached the 42-year-old and assisted the subject out of the woods. Resources were clear at 4:19 pm.
Oneida County
Town of Forestport
Brush Fire: On May 1st at 5:45 pm, Forest Ranger Lieutenant Hoag and Ranger McCartney responded to a brush fire near Round Lake Road in the town of Forestport. The fire burned an estimated nine acres of private land. By 8:20 pm, the fire was put into patrol status and declared out on May 4th.
Read past Forest Ranger search and rescue reports here.
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