William Gage was an employee of E. J. Worden, proprietor of the Worden Hotel in Lake George, NY. On Sunday morning, October 30, 1910, Gage asked Worden for the loan of a team of horses and a wagon, so he could visit his mother in nearby Luzerne. [Read more…] about A 1910 Lake George Horror
drownings
1832: A Stuyvesant Lighthouse Disaster Kills Four Children
The following text is from articles printed in March 1832 about the destruction of one of the Hudson River lighthouses on a tidal marsh flat near Stuyvesant Landing, only shortly after its construction in 1830.
A massive, moving field of spring ice crushed the 20 by 34 feet stone structure and killed four children. [Read more…] about 1832: A Stuyvesant Lighthouse Disaster Kills Four Children
Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend
NYS Forest Rangers had a busy July 4th weekend in which they recovered the body of a paddler; rescued two people on an inflatable kayak from rapids they didn’t know existed on the Saranac River; assisted with an overturned sailboat on Lake Champlain; rescued someone from the rapids in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness; and two teens hiding from a black bear near Lake George. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend
Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body; Respond to Overdue Hikers
Rainy weather last weekend kept many people from seeking outdoor recreation opportunities, but NY State Forest Rangers and State Police recovered the body of a paddler from an overturned canoe who could not swim in Wyoming County. They also responded to a call about a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old separated from their hiking group in the Adirondack High Peaks, and a 24-year-old overdue and unprepared hiker in the Johns Brook Valley. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body; Respond to Overdue Hikers
Early Season Paddling Tragedies Are A Cold Reminder
Water currents can be strong at any time of year, but early season boaters, paddlers, anglers and swimmers are at a greater risk in spring when waters are still cold – cold enough to cause cold water shock, hypothermia and death in minutes.
Three recent stories highlight the dangers of recreating on and around cold and fast waters in Spring: [Read more…] about Early Season Paddling Tragedies Are A Cold Reminder
Rangers Battle Wildfires; Rescue Numerous Hikers; High Tor Fall Victim; Recover Teen at Kaaterskill Creek
Wildfires remain a concern across New York State. Checking the weather before hiking. The temperature and conditions at the top of a mountain are often very different from those at the trailhead.
It’s Mud Season, wildland stewards advise that recreationists should stick to drier lower elevation areas to avoid damaging trails and fragile higher elevation ecosystems.
The following are recent missions carried out by New York State Forest Rangers: [Read more…] about Rangers Battle Wildfires; Rescue Numerous Hikers; High Tor Fall Victim; Recover Teen at Kaaterskill Creek
Grace Brown, Her Murderer Chester Gillette & Old Herkimer Jailhouse
In 1906, the murder of the pregnant Grace Brown by her boyfriend Chester Gillette at Big Moose Lake in northern Herkimer County became one of New York State’s most widely followed criminal cases.
The two met at Gillette’s uncle’s skirt factory in Cortland, NY, where they became involved and Brown became pregnant. Refusing to accept responsibility, he made arrangements for a trip to the Adirondacks. [Read more…] about Grace Brown, Her Murderer Chester Gillette & Old Herkimer Jailhouse
Davis Dalton & The Volunteer Life Saving Corps
It was the year 1898, and only days from the end of summer. A group of boaters and swimmers at Lake George had just finished organizing a training session by the recently established Volunteer Life Saving Corps.
This was an era when organized water safety and life-guarding were virtually nonexistent, and swimming was more often viewed as “bathing,” requiring no formal skill. [Read more…] about Davis Dalton & The Volunteer Life Saving Corps
Hudson River Paddler Drowns Near North Creek; 6 Rescued From St. Regis River
On Friday, July 12, at about 8:25 pm, Warren County requested Forest New York State Ranger assistance with the search for an overturned kayaker on the Hudson River near North Creek in the town of Johnsburg,, NY. The Adirondack Park hamlet is a popular center for padding and whitewater rafting. [Read more…] about Hudson River Paddler Drowns Near North Creek; 6 Rescued From St. Regis River
Forest Rangers Recover Body, Make 13 Rescues of Hikers, Climber, Swimmer, Paddler
New York State Forest Rangers recovered the body of one swimmer, and carried out more than a dozen rescue missions between July 3rd and July 8th around Upstate New York, including one climber, a swimmer and a paddler. What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of those recent missions. [Read more…] about Forest Rangers Recover Body, Make 13 Rescues of Hikers, Climber, Swimmer, Paddler
Two Men Found Dead In Deep Snow Near Canadian Border
Two men, identified as Abdoulaye Ndoye and Ndongo Sarry, both 25 and both from Dakar, Senegal, were found dead as snow melted in a remote area near the Canadian border on Monday, March 25, 2024. At least eleven people have died crossing the border since this time last year when new border crossing rules went into affect.
[Read more…] about Two Men Found Dead In Deep Snow Near Canadian Border
Woman Dies Crossing Great Chazy River: Some Background
On Tuesday, December 12 at about 6:30 pm, US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office requested NYS Forest Ranger assistance with the search for 31-year-old Ana Karen Vasquez-Flores, who was reported missing by her husband on Monday, December 11th.
On Wednesday, December 13th, nine Forest Rangers arrived to helped coordinate linear search assignments. Investigative efforts narrowed the primary search area to the Great Chazy River. [Read more…] about Woman Dies Crossing Great Chazy River: Some Background
Angler Drowns In Upstate Pond
On Sunday, November 5, 2023, at about 4:27 am New York State Police in Greenwich were advised that an individual had failed to return home from a fishing trip. [Read more…] about Angler Drowns In Upstate Pond
16-Year-Old Drowns In Strong Currents At Kaaterskill Clove
On Tuesday, August 8 at about 3:30 pm, New York State Forest Ranger Dawson responded to a call for a subject trapped under the water at Fawn’s Leap, at Kaaterskill Clove on Kaaterskill Creek, just above Moore’s Bridge in the town of Hunter, Greene County, NY, in the Catskills. The 16-year-old was part of a group of six who traveled from Brooklyn to swim at Fawn’s Leap. Heavy rainfall the previous night created strong currents in the swimming hole. [Read more…] about 16-Year-Old Drowns In Strong Currents At Kaaterskill Clove
Body of Canoeist Recovered from Adirondack Lake
On Sunday, July 9 at about noon, four New York State Forest Rangers responded to Cedar River Flow in the Adirondack Park town of Indian Lake, in Hamilton County, for a report of a possible drowning. [Read more…] about Body of Canoeist Recovered from Adirondack Lake
Rangers Recover Body, Make Rescues In Adirondacks, Prospect Mtn & Catskills
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. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Body, Make Rescues In Adirondacks, Prospect Mtn & Catskills
Bodies Recovered, Others Rescued From Icy Upstate Waters
Upstate New York first responders and water rescue crews spent a busy Saturday on April 1st as thin ice and frigid and swollen waters led to several incidents in which two people were drowned and six more and a dog were rescued. [Read more…] about Bodies Recovered, Others Rescued From Icy Upstate Waters
Man’s Body Located After His ATV Found Rolled Over Into Stream
On Friday, December 9 at 3:19 pm, New York State Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) Tabor notified the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Ray Brook Dispatch office that Oneida County requested Forest Ranger assistance with the search for 55-year-old Michael R. Ingersoll, who had left home on an ATV (all terrain vehicle) at about 7:30 pm on Thursday, December 8th. [Read more…] about Man’s Body Located After His ATV Found Rolled Over Into Stream
Forest Rangers Respond to Multiple Rescues, Recover Bodies
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. [Read more…] about Forest Rangers Respond to Multiple Rescues, Recover Bodies
Two Bodies Recovered From Adirondack Falls
On August 19, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office notified Forest Rangers about two people deceased near of the falls of Tenant Creek in the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest. NYS Forest Ranger Thompson and Sheriff’s Office personnel responded. Tenant Creek is located of Hope Falls Road in the Southern Adirondacks town of Hope.
The first of three waterfalls are reached by a 1.9 mile trail. From there two other falls are reached by an unmarked trail another 1.2 miles beyond the first falls. [Read more…] about Two Bodies Recovered From Adirondack Falls