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Teen falls 100 feet while climbing waterfall

Rangers also help lost, injured hikers this week

State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers helped numerous lost and injured people in the Adirondack backcountry last week, including a teenage climber who fell from a waterfall and a group that was wholly unprepared for their hike.

Town of Keene

On Sunday, July 16, an 18-year-old male fell approximately 100 feet while climbing Cascade Falls off of state Route 73 between Lake Placid and Keene. The young man landed near the base of the falls and was conscious but in extreme pain.

Rangers were dispatched to the scene, and additional help from the Keene emergency medical services and Keene Valley volunteer fire department were also called in. The young man was stabilized, packaged and transported to a waiting ambulance, which took him to Elizabethtown Community Hospital. From there, a medevac helicopter crew flew him to University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont.

Town of North Elba

Early in the evening of Friday, July 14, four hikers called 911 when they became lost in the McKenzie Pond Wilderness area. The group had decided to bushwhack with no gear, no map and no compass. Inclement weather was incoming and the group could not find their way back, but coordinates gave rangers a last known location.

Four rangers were dispatched to the group’s car and, under heavy rain, began a land search. The group was located at 8:14 p.m. in good health.

Town of Keene

On Thursday, July 13, a woman suffered a possible ankle fracture while climbing Cascade Mountain. The 52-year-old from Oxford, Connecticut, was about 1.7 miles up the trail. State police aviation could not fly due to bad weather, so a dozen rangers were dispatched to her location.

Ranger splinted the leg injury so the woman was able to put some weight on it and begin to walk out. When she couldn’t walk anymore, rangers donned a backpack litter and carried her the rest of the way. The woman’s husband took her to the hospital from the trailhead.

Town of Keene

Shortly before 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11, DEC dispatch received a call about a 55-year-old man with a lower-leg injury on the Great Range, between Gothics and Saddleback mountains.

Two rangers were flown in a state police helicopter to the man’s location, and one ranger was lowered from the helicopter to treat and stabilize the man. The ranger packaged the man for hoist via helicopter, and he was flown to a local hospital for treatment.

Town of Newcomb

Just before 8 a.m. on Monday, July 10, rangers received notification of an overdue group of hikers. The trio of hiker were hiking the Santanoni Range and had contacted family, saying they were taking longer than anticipated and should be done by 2 a.m.

Four rangers responded to the area and located the subjects in good health shortly after 10 a.m.

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