State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers were busy helping lost, injured and unprepared hikers around the Adirondacks last week.

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Town of Indian Lake

On Monday, Aug. 5, DEC dispatch received a call regarding a disoriented hiker who was down in the middle of the Northville-Placid Trail near Cedar Lake lean-to No. 1. The 64-year-old Massachusetts man could not walk, but after being given water he was revived enough to walk to the lean-to. Other hikers helped carry the man’s gear.

Forest Ranger Jennifer Temple was flown in via floatplane by Helms Aviation. Temple located the man, and he and Temple were flown back to Long Lake, where the Long Lake rescue squad transported the man to a local hospital for treatment.

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Town of Santa Clara

Shortly before midnight on Monday, Aug. 5, a 911 call was transferred to DEC dispatch about an overdue trail runner on the Deer Pond trails near Tupper Lake. The 19-year-old man from Mexico, New York, runs on trails daily but was unfamiliar with these trails and was using his cellphone for navigation. His cellphone was going directly to voicemail after 10 p.m., indicating it had lost power.

Three rangers responded and made voice contact with the missing runner at 1:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The man was located at 2:17 a.m. in good health and was escorted out of the woods.

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Town of Keene

At 9:42 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, DEC dispatch received a transferred call from 911 about a woman in need of assistance on Porter Mountain. The woman had successfully reached the summit of the High Peak and then began to descend toward Keene Valley. Reaching a spot where the trail is closed as it crossed private land, the woman turned around the began to go back up until dark.

Ranger Rob Praczkajlo responded and located the woman at 11:51 p.m. After giving her a light, Praczkajlo walked out to the trailhead with the woman.

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Town of Harrietstown

On Saturday, Aug. 10 at 3:15 a.m., DEC central dispatch received a call about a missing camper on Middle Saranac Lake. A man had awoken at 2:30 a.m. and could not locate his friend.

Three rangers and an environmental conservation officer responded and located the 37-year-old Saranac Lake man at 6 a.m. The man had gone out to look for firewood when his flashlight died, and he could not navigate back to the site in the dark.