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Rangers rescue 5-year-old hiker, capsized paddler

State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers rescued lost and injured hikers around the Adirondacks last week, including a paddler capsized in rapids and a lost 5-year-old near Lake George.

Town of Indian Lake

At 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16, ranger Bruce Lomnitzer was on water patrol on the Indian River when he noticed a man who had capsized in Class 3 rapids. The 63-year-old from Maryland was tried unsuccessfully to shore.

Lomnitzer retrieved the man and brought him to shore, and then successfully retrieved the man’s boat and gear as well. The subject did not require medical attention.

Town of North Elba

At about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 16, DEC dispatch received a call concerning a 59-year-old Vermont man with a non-ambulatory knee injury on the Algonquin trail below Wright Peak.

Rangers assembled at the Lake Placid Airport for a hoist operation with New York State Police aviation, and one ranger was lowered to the injured man at 3:30 p.m. The subject was hoisted at 3:40 p.m. and flown to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake for treatment.

Town of Colton

On Thursday, Aug. 16, rangers responded to a request for assistance for a lost hiker at 8:18 p.m. The 61-year-old female from Los Angeles had last been seen entering the woods at 3:15 that afternoon.

Three rangers were dispatched to Lake Marion, where they searched through the night. Additional rangers were brought in on the morning of Aug. 17, and at 8:51 a.m. the woman was seen swimming across Iron Pond. A canoe was sent out and the woman was retrieved in good health.

Town of Lake George

On Friday, Aug. 17, the Glen Island caretaker contacted DEC dispatch regarding a broken cell phone call he had received concerning a 5-year-old girl who had become separated from her family near the summit of Black Mountain.

Half a dozen rangers responded, including three who were inserted at the summit of the mountain via helicopter. At 3:34 p.m., a ranger searching near Black Mountain Point located the girl in good health, although she was cold and wet from recent rains. The girl was fed, warmed up and rehydrated before being reunited with her family. She did not need further medical care.

Town of Long Lake

In response to a number of bear incidents, Forest Ranger Jim Waters was assigned to patrol DEC’s Golden Beach Campground on Raquette Lake. On the morning of Aug. 17, Waters observed a large bear at the campground and successfully hazed the animal in an attempt to dissuade it from coming back.

Ranger patrols continue in the campground, and rangers have been working with campground staff to limit bear attractants.

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