An injured hiker in a remote section of the Adirondacks had to be rescued by being hoisted into a helicopter on Saturday. It was one of several wilderness rescues recently conducted by forest rangers in New York.
Rangers received a report of the injured hiker at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, November 8. The hiker reportedly had an unstable leg injury and was at the intersection of Algonquin and Iroquois Mountain trails, roughly six miles from the nearest trailhead.
New York State Police Aviation was conducting training at the time and responded to assist.
Forest rangers harnessed the 20-year-old from Ontario and successfully hoisted the patient into the helicopter.
The patient was transferred to Lake Placid EMS at the Lake Placid Airport. Resources were clear at 4:10 p.m.
In another incident, forest rangers received a report at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4, of a hiker with a leg injury on Phoenicia-Mt. Tobias Wild Forest in Woodstock.
GPS coordinates placed the hiker on a steep section of the Long Path just south of Warner Creek. Three rangers responded with Woodstock Fire and EMS.
At 2:30 p.m., rangers reached the 57-year-old hiker from Stony Point and stabilized the injured leg with a splint.
Due to the cold weather and lack of movement, the patient was also shivering. Rangers provided layers of clothing and worked with the rest of the hiking party to start a fire. Woodstock EMS provided additional care including pain relief.
Rangers used a wheeled litter to extricate the patient across Warner Creek. Rescuers made it out to a Shandaken Ambulance at 6 p.m.
In another incident, rangers received a report of a group of lost hikers on the Indian Pass Trail in North Elba at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 8.
The hikers texted 911 and coordinates placed them near Indian Pass Brook. At 9:35 p.m., rangers located the hikers in good health, but they were cold and wet due to the weather conditions.
Rangers escorted the group back to the trailhead and resources were clear at 11:03 p.m.
