The following are highlights of search and rescue missions conducted by New York Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers between February 10 and February 23.
Wilmington, New York
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On February 21 at 3:49 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a request to assist a 56-year-old male and an 18-year-old male from Boston, Massachusetts, who became disoriented after out-of-bounds skiing at Whiteface Mountain. Forest rangers Kevin Burns and Rob Praczkajlo arrived on scene at 4:09 p.m. and began interviewing the missing men’s family members. The family assisted the forest rangers with a Snapchat program, which helped to locate the lost skiers. Rangers then requested the men call 911 to ping their cell phone for an exact location. Based on coordinates provided by Essex County 911, a map of their location was generated and forest rangers directed the subjects to walk to a designated location. The skiers exited the woods at 5:16 p.m., and were met by rangers. The two men were transported to Whiteface Mountain Medical Services. The pair signed off on medical attention, and the incident concluded at 5:45 p.m.
Bolton, New York
Warren County
Wilderness Rescue: On February 23 at 7:53 p.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch from two hikers on the Northwest Bay Trail. The hikers started their hike that morning and one of them, a 36-year-old male from Selden, was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. Coordinates obtained through 911 placed the hikers about four miles from the Clay Meadows Trail. Forest ranger Evan Donegan responded, along with the Bolton Landing Fire Department and their airboat. At 8:31 p.m., the responders were on Lake George and heading to the hikers’ last known location. They were located at 9:23 p.m., returned to shore, and hiked back out to the trailhead.