A young hiker in New York has hopefully learned a valuable lesson about how dangerous snowy mountains can be after he was found to be hypothermic and was rescued by forest rangers.
On Saturday, November 30, forest rangers in New York received a call at 3 p.m. from a parent concerned about their son hiking Indian Head in the town of Hunter.
Soon after, a forest ranger spoke to the 18-year-old from Long Island on the phone and the hiker indicated he was on a snowy trail that had not been packed down and was tired, wet, and cold.
The ranger convinced the hiker to turn around and start heading back to the trailhead rather than attempting the summit.
When two forest rangers successfully located the subject, his pants were frozen to his legs.
Rangers treated the hiker for mild hypothermia and assisted him to the trailhead. Resources were clear at 5:35 p.m.
Officials said the teen was hiking without snowshoes despite up to three feet of snow in some spots, and he did not have winter hiking boots, a hat, gloves, or moisture-wicking layers.
