State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers responded to numerous rescues in Adirondack counties last week, including of numerous hikers who were unprepared for their trips.

Town of Fort Ann

Shortly before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18, a man with no map, compass, flashlight or warm clothes called for help, saying he was lost on Buck Mountain. After evaluating GPS coordinates from the man’s phone, rangers determined he was actually on the west side of Pilot Knob.

Two rangers bushwhacked to the man’s location and escorted him out of the woods after rehydrating him.

Town of Keene

A woman called Essex County 911 around noon on Wednesday, July 19 about a man who claimed he was having cardiac distress. The 72-year-old from Fairport reported that he had a history of cardiac issues and was near the trail junction for Rooster Comb and Hedgehog mountains.

As assistant forest ranger began hiking in while two rangers met state police aviation at Marcy Field to prepare for a possible hoist operation. One ranger was inserted via helicopter to the summit of Rooster Comb Mountain, but the man had begun walking down the mountain prior to ranger insertion.

Rangers caught up with the man on the trail as he continued hiking out on his own. He was escorted to the trailhead and said he would seek medical attention on his own.

Town of Elizabethtown

Rangers, along with emergency medical services, volunteers and police, responded to the Split Rock swimming area on reports that a woman had suffered a fractured leg while swimming.

Rangers utilized a technical rope rescue to extricate the woman, who was taken via ambulance to a nearby landing zone. North Country Life Flight flew her via helicopter to Burlington, Vermont, for further treatment.

Town of North Elba

Shortly after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, a man reported that he was with a female suffering from heat exhaustion near Marcy Dam.

Two rangers responded via UTV to Marcy Dam and began treating the woman. After rehydration, the woman reported feeling better and decided to continue her camping trip.

Town of Webb

A campground ranger contacted DEC dispatch to request forest ranger assistance for a reported larceny at Nick’s Lake Campground. The campground worker reported that three 20-year-old males had taken a kayak without permission.

Rangers responded and located the trio with the kayak and began to interview the three men. One man became unruly and aggressive and had to be restrained. The other two men were also taken into custody on petit larceny and possession of alcohol by a minor charges. Town of Webb police assisted.

Town of Ticonderoga

Forest rangers, along with local and state police, worked on recovering the body of a man who had overturned his paddleboat on Lake George and did not surface after.

The man’s body was located early on Saturday, July 22, about 300 feet from shore in about 10 feet of water.

Town of Dresden

A group of hikers from New Jersey lacked water and adequate lighting when they called for help while descending Black Mountain. Two of the group hiked to the trailhead to call for help, while the rest of the group stayed on the trail suffering from dehydration.

A ranger responded at 11 p.m. and met the group about 1.5-miles from the trailhead. After rehydrating and providing lights for members of the party, they were escorted out of the woods. One female had severe dehydration, including cramps in her feet and legs, but all declined medical attention.

Town of Belmont

On Saturday, July 22, rangers responded to northern Franklin County to assist the Owls Head fire department with a possible drowning on Indian Lake.

At about 2 p.m. that day, the man had gone into the water from a motorboat and became distressed. Rescue attempts failed, and the man’s body was recovered the next morning.