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DEC Search and Rescue Report

RAY BROOK – State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers responded to the following search-and-rescue incidents the week of Sept. 14-20.

Essex County

Town of North Elba

High Peaks Wilderness

On Sept. 16 at 11:30 a.m., DEC Ray Brook dispatch received a call from the Adirondack Loj reporting it had been notified of an injured hiker approximately 20 minutes above the Street and Nye Mountain junction on the Street Mountain trail. The 24-year-old woman from Cold Springs fell and sustained a lower leg injury. DEC forest rangers responded to Adirondack Loj and reached the injured woman at 2:15 p.m. They provided first-aid and she managed to walk out slowly with assistance. They returned to Adirondack Loj at 6:15 p.m. The woman drove herself to Adirondack Medical Center in Lake Placid for treatment.

Town of Keene

High Peaks Wilderness

On Sept. 19 at 6:17 p.m., Essex County 911 contacted DEC Ray Brook dispatch reporting a 23-year-old man from New London, Connecticut, in medical distress approximately a quarter-mile up the Big Slide trail from the Garden parking area. 911 dispatched the Keene Fire Department and Keene Valley Fire Department and EMS at the time of the call. DEC forest rangers responded to the Garden parking area. Fire department personnel, with assistance from forest rangers, loaded the man into a litter and carried him back to the trailhead. The Keene Valley Ambulance transported him to Elizabethtown Community Hospital for treatment. The incident concluded at 7:37 p.m.

Town of Keene

High Peaks Wilderness

On Sept. 20 at 6:20 p.m., a 45-year-old female hiker from Corinth contacted DEC Ray Brook dispatch reporting that she and her climbing companion, a 52-year-old woman also from Corinth, were unable to descend Cascade Falls. The pair climbed Cascade Falls with the intention of bushwhacking back to the main trail, but they became disoriented once they reached the top of the falls and determined they could not safely make it back down. DEC forest rangers responded to assist the women back down. They short-roped and belayed them to the base of the falls and escorted them back to their vehicle at the Cascade Day Use Area. The incident concluded at 9:30 p.m.

St. Lawrence County

Town of Clifton

Cranberry Lake Wild Forest

On Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m., a DEC forest ranger advised DEC Ray Brook dispatch of radio traffic dispatching the Cranberry Lake Fire Department to Bear Mountain to assist an injured 65-year-old female hiker from Luts, Florida. The forest ranger responded along with Cranberry Lake and Star Lake Fire Department personnel. The hiker had fallen on a root near the summit and sustained a lower leg injury. They carried the woman out in a litter to the trailhead. Cranberry Lake Rescue transported her to Clifton-Fine Hospital in Star Lake at 9:30 p.m.

Washington County

Town of Fort Ann

Lake George Wild Forest

On Sept. 16 at 11:33 a.m., DEC Ray Brook dispatch received a call from the friend of a 30-year-old female hiker from Fort Ann lost on the trail to Inman Pond. DEC dispatch made contact with her by text message and she told them she was near the pond but not on the trail. DEC forest rangers responded to the Inman Pond trailhead off Shelving Rock Road where they located the woman’s vehicle. DEC dispatch advised the woman to contact 911 to obtain her GPS coordinates, but the coordinates obtained were not usable.

Forest rangers then used binoculars to scan Crossett Lake and located the woman. At 2:17 p.m. Forest rangers established voice contact at the northwest end of Crossett Pond. They escorted her back to the trailhead at 3:35 p.m. and gave her a courtesy ride back to her vehicle.

Warren County

Town of Bolton

Lake George Wild Forest

On Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m., Warren County 911 contacted DEC Ray Brook dispatch about a 65-year-old male hiker from Clifton Park in medical distress on the Cat Mountain trail, approximately 15 minutes from the Cat and Thomas Mountain trailhead. The man had hiked Mount Severance in Schroon Lake that morning and then met a friend to hike Cat and Thomas mountains. As they were headed back to the Cat Mountain trailhead, the hiker collapsed on the trail. One forest ranger responded along with members of the Bolton Fire Department and EMS. They carried the hiker back to the trailhead at 6:25 p.m. and Bolton EMS transported him to Glens Falls hospital.

DEC Search and Rescue Report

RAY BROOK – State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers responded to the following search-and-rescue incidents the week of Aug. 31 to Sept. 7.

Clinton County

Town of Black Brook, Taylor Pond Wild Forest

On Sept. 5 at 3 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook dispatch received a call from the hiking partner of a 27-year-old male from Purling, New York, who said the man was in medical distress.

The pair were descending Catamount Mountain and his companion became too weak to continue.

A DEC forest ranger responded, met the men on the trail and provided fluids to rehydrate him. The ranger escorted the pair back to the trailhead at 5:19 p.m.

Essex County

Town of Wilmington, Whiteface Mountain Ski Area

On August 31 at 10:20 p.m., the DEC central dispatch was notified of a 22-year-old male and 22-year-old female from Montreal who were lost on Whiteface Mountain.

The pair took the Whiteface Mountain gondola and then bushwhacked to the top of the mountain. They reached the summit late in the evening and were not prepared to hike in the dark.

A DEC forest ranger responded to the Whiteface Memorial Highway and met the two approximately one mile up the road. They were transported back to their vehicle at Whiteface Mountain Ski Area at 2 a.m.

Town of North Elba, High Peaks Wilderness

On Sept. 5 at noon, the Cascade Mountain summit steward notified the DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch of an 18-year-old female from Oswego who sustained a non-weight-bearing injury on the trail between Cascade Mountain and Porter Mountain.

DEC forest rangers stabilized the woman for an aviation rescue and New York State Police Aviation hoisted her off of the summit.

She was transported to Adirondack Medical Center in Lake Placid for further medical treatment.

Town of North Hudson, High Peaks Wilderness

On September 5 at 12:20 a.m., the DEC Central Dispatch was notified of three male hikers who had failed to meet their ride at the predetermined location after hiking Mount Marcy.

The 21-year-old, 20-year-old and 17-year-old, all from Dundee, New York, were dropped off at the Panther Lake trailhead at 7 a.m.

It became dark during their decent and they became disoriented and walked two extra miles. They did not have any flashlights or headlamps.

A DEC forest ranger located the men near the Elk Lake parking area and provided them with a courtesy ride to Lake Harris Campground, where they were staying. The incident concluded at 4:45 a.m.

Town of North Elba,

High Peaks Wilderness

On Sept. 7 at 11:15 a.m., the DEC’s Ray Brook dispatch received a request for assistance for a 34-year-old male from Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, who was in medical distress on the north end of Avalanche Lake.

The man had encountered the Lake Colden caretaker, who rowed him across Avalanche Lake while DEC forest rangers and assistant forest rangers responded. He was immobile and unable to walk on his own.

A carry out was organized from Avalanche Lake down Misery Mile to Marcy Dam. At 8:24 p.m. forest rangers transferred him to an awaiting all-terrain vehicle and provided him with a ride to his vehicle. The rangers were advised that he would seek medical attention on his own.

Herkimer County

Town of Webb,

Fulton Chain Wild Forest

On September 7, at 3:10 p.m., Herkimer County 911 contacted the DEC’s Ray Brook dispatch regarding an injured 27-year-old female hiker from Cato, New York, who was halfway up Bald Mountain.

Six DEC forest rangers responded with fire department members from Old Forge, Eagle Bay and the town of Webb Rescue Squad.

The hiker was carried back to the trailhead and transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in Utica for treatment.

DEC Search and Rescue Report

RAY BROOK – State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers responded to the following search-and-rescue incidents the week of Aug. 24 to 30.

Warren County

Town of Chester (private land)

On Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m., DEC Ray Brook dispatch received a transferred call from Warren County 911 from a lost 15-year-old male from Gormley, Ontario. The boy, who was vacationing with family nearby, had gone for a run and gotten lost on logging trails on private property. A DEC forest ranger used GPS coordinates from the teen’s cell phone to locate the boy in good health at 8:45 p.m. The ranger returned him to his family at 9:30 p.m.

Washington County

Town of Fort Ann

Lake George Wild Forest

On Aug. 25 at 11:36 a.m., DEC Ray Brook dispatch received a transferred call from Warren County 911 from a 51-year-old woman from Buffalo who was lost on Buck Mountain. She left from the Pilot Knob side of Buck Mountain at 10:30 a.m., and became lost at 11:20 a.m. The woman then directly called Ray Brook dispatch with coordinates and elevation bearings from her cell phone, which placed her near Butternut Creek on Buck Mountain. Dispatch told her to wait there, while two DEC forest rangers responded to the area. One forest ranger entered Buck Mountain through the Pilot Knob side while the other ranger entered through the Inman Pond Trail. They located her near Butternut Creek at 1:50 p.m. and escorted her back to her vehicle. The incident concluded at 3:01 p.m.

Town of Fort Ann

Lake George Wild Forest

On Aug. 30 at 7:13 p.m., Washington County 911 transferred a call to DEC Ray Brook dispatch from a male hiker, who was lost with his 18-year-old daughter on the Shelving Rock Trail System. A DEC forest ranger made direct contact with the father and located the pair at 10:38 p.m. The ranger escorted them out of the woods and back to their vehicle at 11:06 p.m.

Essex County

Town of North Elba

High Peaks Wilderness

On Aug. 27 at 4:50 p.m., Essex County 911 transferred a call to DEC Ray Brook dispatch from a 39-year-old woman in medical distress on top of Algonquin Mountain. A DEC forest ranger spoke to the woman and determined an aviation rescue was necessary. New York State Police Aviation inserted a forest ranger to access and prepare the woman for hoist. At 6:39 p.m., they hoisted her off the summit and transported her to Adirondack Health Center in Saranac Lake for further medical treatment.

Town of Keene

High Peaks Wilderness

On Aug. 27 at 5 p.m., DEC Ray Brook received a radio call from Johns Brook Loj reporting a 77-year-old woman from New York City in medical distress approximately 0.5 miles from Johns Brook Loj. Hikers who encountered the woman along the trail reported her status to Loj staff members. Loj staff members assessed the woman and assisted her back to the Loj. New York State Police Aviation transported two DEC forest rangers into Johns Brook Valley. The woman was airlifted to Marcy Field where she was transferred to Keene Valley EMS and taken to Elizabethtown Hospital for further medical treatment.

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