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.
Town of Willsboro
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 14 at 11:50 am., Ray Brook Dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance for a hiker with a possible ankle fracture near the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain. Rangers reached the 43-year-old from Chazy in under an hour. Ranger Bronson requested additional support and a UTV to transport the subject to the trailhead. The hiker brought herself to the hospital for further care and resources were clear at 1:44 pm.
Canadice Lake
Ontario County
Water Rescue: On June 17 at 2 pm., while preparing for boat patrol on Hemlock Lake, Forest Ranger Dormer overheard Ontario County 911 radio traffic reporting an overturned kayak in the middle of Canadice Lake. The kayaker was in wind-driven rough water, with no other vessels nearby. Ranger Dormer called AFR Dorety to assess the situation from the Canadice Lake boat launch. Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) Dussault also responded. At 2:15 pm., a group of good Samaritans found the distressed kayaker and took him into their canoe. The Ranger boat crew retrieved the kayak, returned it to shore, and confirmed the distressed kayaker was safe.
Town of North Elba
Essex County
Dog Rescue: On June 18, Ray Brook Dispatch emailed Ranger O’Connor about a lost dog on McKenzie Mountain. The following morning, Ranger O’Connor called the dog’s owner to get more information. While hiking down the mountain, the owner had to unclip the dog, “Wilson,” so he could get down the rock scramble, but Wilson took off running. The dog’s tracking device wasn’t working, so the owner couldn’t find him. The four-month-old puppy spent the night in the woods. At approximately 11 am., the puppy approached a group of hikers with a dog. The hikers leashed the puppy and called the owner. Ten minutes later, Rangers O’Connor and Ordway were there to help the puppy down the trail and reunited him with his owner. Interviews with Ranger O’Connor and Wilson’s owner are available here.
Town of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 19 at 10:40 p.m., Forest Rangers responded to a call for three hikers lost off trail on Porter Mountain. Coordinates placed the hikers from Lockport approximately 1,000 feet down a drainage perpendicular to the trail. Ranger Duchene instructed the hikers to head back to the trail. At 1:50 am., Ranger Duchene reached the subjects and walked the trio back to Marcy Field.
Read past Forest Ranger search and rescue reports here.
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