New York State Forest Rangers recently rescued several injured and lost hikers, stranded boaters, and helped contain a wildland fire on private property.
These incidents and more took place between Sept. 3-13. All information below was supplied by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Town of Shandaken, Ulster County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 13, a dispatcher from Ulster County 911 contacted Central Dispatch for a report of five lost hikers on the red trail of Slide Mountain in the town of Shandaken. Ulster County was unable to obtain coordinates for the group’s location but stated they were good on water and warm clothing. Central Dispatch contacted a member of the group and received coordinates. At 11:24 p.m., Ranger Brand and two firefighters from the Phoenicia Fire Department located the five hikers, warmed and fed them, and provided the group with headlamps. Rangers Stratton, Allwine, and Franke also assisted, meeting up with Ranger Brand and the hiking party and walking them out of the woods at 3 a.m. The hikers declined further medical treatment.
Town of Peru, Clinton County
Wilderness Rescue: On the morning of Sept. 13, Ray Brook dispatch received a report of three stranded paddlers on Valcour Island on Lake Champlain. The three boaters spent an unexpected night out due to bad weather. Ray Brook called the paddlers to advise the group that they were not in danger and to get more details about their whereabouts. Rangers Bronson and Russell responded to the boaters using a stationed motorboat from the DEC dock at Peru and located the three paddlers secure on Bluff Point. The paddlers and Rangers were back at the Peru Boat Launch by 10 a.m.
Town of Hunter, Greene County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 13, a 37-year-old woman slipped on rocks and injured her lower leg while hiking to the bottom of Kaaterskill Falls with her family. Nearby hikers assisted her while Ranger Dawson responded. The Ranger provided the subject with medical care and she decided she wanted to walk out with the use of crutches. Ranger Gullen and Dawson assisted her out to the lower trailhead, where family picked her up to seek further medical care.
Town of Jewett, Greene County
Wilderness Rescue:On Sept. 13, Central Dispatch received a call from a man requesting Ranger assistance for his friend who was unable to continue hiking the Colgate Lake Wild Trail in Greene County. The hiker said his friend was about two miles from the trailhead with no visible injuries but unable to walk after completing a 14-mile hike with his hiking party. The subject became nauseated and short of breath on the climb up, forcing the group to turn around near 3,500 feet of elevation and return to Colgate Lake. Ranger Dawson and Breigle responded to the area to assist and the hiker walked out on his own. Rangers evaluated the man, who declined further medical care. Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry.
Town of Persia,Cattaraugus County
SAR training: On Sept. 12 and 13, Rangers from Region 9 participated in a two-day training exercise sponsored by the regional tech rescue team. The first day consisted of two rope rescue scenarios in the Zoar gorge, which forced members of different departments to jointly utilize equipment and experience. On the second day of the training, Rangers reviewed the use of various tools and methods to complete swiftwater rescues. Departments from both Erie and Cattaraugus counties participated, as well as Erie County Sheriff’s SWAT.
Town of Rochester, Ulster County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 12, DEC’s Central Dispatch received a call from Ulster County 911 reporting a man lost while hiking who ended up on the Vernoy trailhead. Coordinates placed the subject on the Long Path in Rochester, approximately 1,600 feet from Trails End Road. The hiker had 20 percent battery left on his phone, no food or water, and was wearing shorts while temperatures dropped. Ranger Slade responded and advised the hiker to stay put. The Ranger found the lost hiker on the Popple Hill Trail, provided him with a flashlight and water, and walked him back to his vehicle at the Upper Cherrytown Trailhead.
City of Plattsburgh, Clinton County
Torch Run for Special Olympics: On Friday, Sept. 11, Region 5 Forest Ranger Capt. Streiff and Ranger Booth took part in the 50th Anniversary Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics in Plattsburgh. The run, organized by State and Federal Police, involved participants from numerous law enforcement agencies.
Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County
Firefighters return home: On Friday Sept. 11, a team of 10 DEC Forest Rangers, staff, and volunteers returned to New York after helping to battle and contain wildland fires raging in western states for two weeks. These trained, expert wildland firefighters helped battle high priority fires in Nebraska and South Dakota. A second New York crew headed out the next day and are currently assigned to the Cameron Peak Fire on the Arapaho and Roosevelt Forest near Redfeather Lakes, CO. That fire is 102,000 acres and four percent contained. More details here.
Town of North, ElbaEssex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 7 at 3:35 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a 37-year-old hiker from the Bronx reporting she had injured her ankle while hiking down Mount Marcy in the High Peaks Wilderness. The hiker indicated that she was mobile and hiking with a partner and that the pair would continue down the mountain. Assistant Forest Ranger Leff responded and started up the mountain to meet the hiking party while Forest Rangers Praczkajlo and Baldwin headed into Marcy Dam on an ATV. Once the Rangers reached the subject, they transported her back to the trailhead. The injured hiker said she would seek further medical attention on her own. The incident concluded at 8:20 p.m.
Town of Clifton, St. Lawrence County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 6 at 9:26 a.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for an injured hiker on the Cranberry Lake 50 trail. The caller stated that her 14-year-old son pulled his Achilles tendon and could not continue the hike. The group was on the east side of Brandy Brook Flow on Cranberry Lake and Forest Ranger Baldwin responded by boat. Ranger Baldwin arrived to the hiking party by 10:06 a.m., and transported the group by boat to shore shortly thereafter. The injured hiker from Plattsburgh declined further medical care at the scene and advised he would seek medical attention on his own.
Town of Hunter - Indian Head Wilderness Area- Plattekill Clove, Greene County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 6 at 9 p.m., a group of nine hikers called Greene County 911 reporting they were lost due to darkness and cliffs near the creek in Plattekill Clove. Forest Rangers Dawson, Fox, Breigle, and Slade responded to assist. The Rangers made voice contact with the hikers and bushwhacked to their location through steep terrain. Rangers utilized rope systems to assist the hikers up the steep terrain and back up to the road. All were out of the woods by 4:18 a.m.
Town of Tompkins - Steam Mill State Forest, Delaware County
Law Enforcement: On Sept. 6, Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) Osborne contacted Forest Ranger Seeley to inform him about a tip he received about a party planned that night in Steam Mill State Forest. The Officers formulated a plan for Rangers Seeley, Bink, and ECO Osborne to patrol the area to look for the group. The Rangers and ECO located the party at 11:30 p.m. and discovered approximately 40 people around a large bonfire with a lot of alcohol. The Officers collected identification from the attendees and instructed the group to clean up the beer cans and put the fire out. The Rangers and ECO issued a total of 32 tickets to individuals between the ages of 16 and 20 for possessing alcohol under the age of 21 on State land. Ranger Seeley then administered a breath test with an Intoximeter to anyone who planned on driving to ensure their safety. Those who could not drive could leave their vehicles for the night and received rides from sober attendees. The incident concluded at 4:30 a.m.
Town of Shandaken - Slide Wilderness Area, Ulster County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 5 at 4:30 p.m., a 32-year-old woman from Bellmawr, New Jersey, hiking the red trail to the summit of Wittenburg Mountain called Ulster County 911 requested assistance off the mountain due to a pre-existing medical condition that made it difficult for her to walk. Forest Rangers Martin, Brand, Griggsby, and Rusher responded to GPS coordinates that placed her three miles from the trailhead. Rangers assisted the subject for the first mile back, but her condition deteriorated rapidly, requiring a carryout. Volunteers from the Phoenecia, Olive, Pine Hill, and Shandaken fire departments provided resources to assist Rangers with carrying the hiker out of the woods. At 1:30 a.m., the hiker was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
Town of Keene, Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 5 at 4:07 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a request to assist 22-year-old woman from Glenridge, New Jersey, who sustained a non-weight-bearing leg injury a half mile below the Hopkins Junction on Mount Marcy. Forest Rangers and the Mt. Marcy Summit Steward responded to assist. The Steward reached the subject at 4:45 p.m., with Forest Ranger Mecus arriving shortly thereafter to help assess and stabilize the injury. The group then began slowly making their way to Marcy Dam. At 8:53 p.m., Forest Ranger Mecus advised that they had made it to Indian Falls and the injured hiker was unable to continue. Forest Rangers Praczkajlo, Lewis, van Laer, DiCinitio, Assistant Ranger Engel, and the Marcy Dam Caretaker responded to help. At 11:20 p.m., the hiker was driven out from Marcy Dam to Meadows Lane on a waiting UTV. A friend picked up the hiker and advised they would seek further medical assistance on their own.
Town of Keene, Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 5 at 8:27 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received notification from Forest Rangers engaged in another rescue on Mount Marcy that they had encountered a hiker suffering from back spasms and in need of assistance. Forest Ranger Bode responded and assisted the 43-year-old hiker from Farmingdale down the trail to the Marcy Dam outpost where she received a ride back to the trailhead on a waiting UTV. The injured hiker advised she would seek further medical attention on her own.
Town of Deerpark, Orange County
Wildland Fire: On Sept. 5, Orange County 911 requested the assistance of Forest Ranger Parlier with a wildland fire on private property in the town of Deerpark. The unattended brush fire had spread and was later contained to approximately two acres through the use of an excavator the landowner had on site and the assistance of the Cuddeback, Huguenot, Otisville, Westbrookville, Sparrowbrush, and Port Jervis fire departments. The fire was declared out at approximately 3:45 p.m.
Town of Waverly, Franklin County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 5 at 4 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker reporting that his wife had injured her ankle about a half mile from the trailhead of Azure Mountain. Forest Ranger Lt. Harjung responded along with Forest Rangers Balerno and Evans, the St. Regis Falls Fire Department, and EMS. Once on scene, Lt. Harjung splinted the injury and the group started slowly making their way down the trail. The injured hiker was able to get down off the steeper slope with the assistance of hiking poles and leaning on the shoulders of rescuers. The responders then placed the subject in a litter and carried her the remainder of the way to the trailhead. The hiker declined additional medical treatment and said she would seek treatment on her own.
Town of Hunter - Kaaterskill Wild Forest, Greene County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 3 at 11:54 a.m., Forest Rangers received a call from DEC’s Central Dispatch regarding a 39-year-old man from Croton-on-Hudson who slipped while hiking the escarpment trail near the Artist Rock and heard a snap in his ankle. Forest Rangers Fox, Breigle, and Assistant Forest Ranger France responded along with Greene County EMS and volunteers from the Haines Falls, Cedar Grove, and Tannersville fire departments. The responders packed the hiker in a litter and carried him out to a waiting ambulance for transport to a local hospital. The incident concluded by 2:30 p.m.
Visit DEC’s Hike Smart NY and Adirondack Backcountry for more information.
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