Forest rangers in New York conducted several wilderness rescues last week, including several incidents involving lost and injured hikers, and a pair of hikers who became hypothermic while waiting for their companions.
On Wednesday, September 17, a forest ranger responded to a report of a hiker who fell and injured their hip on Rob’s Trail in Canadice, New York. Three local fire departments also responded.
Rescuers used a wheeled litter to get the 69-year-old from Avon down the trail to a pontoon boat on Hemlock Lake. The boat took the patient to the North Hemlock boat launch, where they were met by an ambulance.
On Saturday, September 20, rangers received a 911 call at 11:30 p.m. about an overdue hiker in the Slide Mountain Wilderness.
The caller stated the hiker was planning to hike Table, Peekamoose, Lone, Rocky, Balsam Cap, and Friday Mountains, but was not prepared to spend the night. The last communication with the hiker was from the summit of Peekamoose at 11:40 a.m. Three forest rangers and local sheriff’s deputies responded.
At 2:20 a.m., a ranger located the 55-year-old from Fishkill on the Fisherman’s path, approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead. The hiker was in good health but reportedly extremely fatigued, admitting they misjudged the distance and intensity of the hike.
The hiker became disoriented on Friday Mountain after their phone died, which was their only source of navigation.
Rangers provided food and water and assisted the hiker to the trailhead. Resources were clear at 5:15 a.m.
In another incident on Saturday, September 20, rangers responded to a report of an overdue hiker on Big Slide Mountain in Keene at 11:30 p.m. Last contact with the hiker was six hours earlier when the 38-year-old from Clifton Park stated they were off trail.
At 4:40 a.m., rangers cleared the summit without any signs of the subject.
At 7:15 a.m., rangers found the hiker in good health roughly a half mile from the trailhead. The hiker spent the night far enough off trail that they didn’t hear rangers calling. But early in the morning, the hiker saw headlamps and continued towards the trailhead.
On Sunday, September 21 at 2:35 a.m., an ambulance was dispatched to the Elk Lake trailhead in North Hudson after authorities received a 911 from two hikers complaining of hypothermia.
The hikers had finished their hike, but the other two members of their party had not returned yet, and they had the keys to the car.
Schroon EMS warmed the subjects. As forest rangers prepared to search for the other two hikers, the overdue pair reached the trailhead. Resources were clear at 4:30 a.m.
On Sunday, September 21 at 1:46 p.m., dispatch received a call for a 41-year-old who was vomiting all night and could not hold down food or water as they hiked with a 13-year-old out from Marie Louise Pond in Elizabethtown.
The pair stayed the night after hiking from Chapel Pond. The subject started feeling lightheaded at Blueberry Cobbles.
Rangers responded with a local paramedic. They met the pair approximately 0.75 miles up the trail. They provided fluids and helped them to the trailhead for pickup up by a family member. Resources were clear at 3:45 p.m.
