Forest rangers in New York were kept busy the first week of July with multiple wilderness rescues of lost and injured hikers.
Among the rescues were two hikers who had no light source other than their phones, an injured hiker who had to be transported by helicopter from Lake Colden, and an incident in which rangers used backpack carriers to carry an injured hiker over difficult terrain.
Rangers also responded to a campsite fire in the Saranac Islands, and a report of a lost child.
The following are highlights of search and rescue incidents involving New York forest rangers last week.
Town of Denning
Ulster County
Wilderness Rescue: A forest ranger responded to Peekamoose Blue Hole for a report of an unconscious 13-year-old at 1:50 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1.
The ranger arrived and determined the child from Brooklyn was having a response to the cold water. The teenager was neck-deep in the water for approximately 10 minutes, got out, reported not feeling well, and then lost consciousness. After regaining consciousness, the child was shivering uncontrollably and had a decreased pulse rate.
The ranger insulated the subject from the ground using a camp pad, wrapped the patient in two sleeping bags, and used a tarp for protection from a sudden thunderstorm.
Another ranger arrived and assisted walking out the patient to the roadway. A Grahamsville ambulance transported the subject and their father to the hospital. Resources were clear at 3:10 p.m.
Town of North Elba
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: Forest rangers responded to a call for a subject with a leg injury on Mount Jo at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1. A Lake Placid Paramedic assisted with pain management.
Rangers packaged the 34-year-old from Rochester in a litter and used backpack carriers to carry them out. A Lake Placid ambulance transported the patient to the hospital. Resources were clear at 5:28 p.m.
Town of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: Rangers received a call about a hiker with a shoulder injury on the Mount Colden Trail on Wednesday, July 2. The Colden caretaker responded from the East River Trail campsite. A forest ranger contacted the 63-year-old from Maryland via phone and learned the subject’s fingers were getting numb, making the rescue more urgent.
A New York State Police pilot flew two rangers to the Lake Colden outpost. One ranger used the caretaker boat to cross Lake Colden while the caretaker massaged the subject’s shoulder so the other ranger could reduce the shoulder dislocation before wrapping the injured arm in a sling.
The caretaker rowed the subject back to the outpost, where the helicopter transported him to the hospital. Resources were clear at 7 p.m.
Town of Hunter
Greene County
Wilderness Rescue: Rangers received a report of a hiker having a seizure at the summit of Hunter Mountain at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 4. At 5:28 p.m., rangers reached the subject at the Hunter Mountain fire tower.
Rangers walked out with the subject and helped them to an ambulance for transport to Kingston Hospital. Resources were clear at 7:30 p.m.
Town of Pomfret
Chautauqua County
Wilderness Search: Chautauqua County requested forest ranger assistance with the search for a missing 6-year-old at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 5. The child’s mother reported them missing after they wandered into forested land behind a playset at the Fredonia BOCES campus.
A forest ranger established an Incident Command with Fredonia Police and assigned members of Chautauqua County’s volunteer search team, fire department volunteers, New York State Police, and Sheriff’s Deputies to different search areas, including a lookout on the Porter Road Bridge.
At 11:50 a.m., a search crew located the subject in good health in the Canadaway creek bed.
Town of North Elba
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Garmin about an SOS beacon near Mount Marshall in Cold Brook Pass at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 5. Forest ranger attempts to reach the subject through the app were unsuccessful.
A ranger hiked in from Adirondak Loj while another ranger was lowered in by New York State Police helicopter. They located the 30-year-old from Quebec on the Indian Pass trail. The subject stated they lost the trail multiple times and began to panic.
Rangers escorted the subject to their vehicle. Resources were clear at 7:05 p.m.
Town of Wilmington
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker with an unstable leg injury on Whiteface Mountain at 4:35 p.m. on Saturday, July 5.
The 44-year-old from Elmhurst hiked up from the ski center. Coordinates placed the subject approximately 400 feet off an access road.
Forest rangers stabilized the injury, packaged the subject into a litter, and carried them a short way to an ATV. They drove the hiker to their vehicle, where the hiker decided to seek medical attention on their own. Resources were clear at 6:45 p.m.
Town of Wilmington
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On July 5 at 4:40 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a second call from Whiteface Mountain from a 17-year-old and 28-year-old from Buffalo stating they were lost, only had a 7 percent charge left on their cell phone, and had no other light source.
Coordinates placed the pair approximately 300 feet off trail. Rangers from the previous Whiteface Mountain incident joined other rangers in the search.
A New York State Police helicopter standing down from a Mount Marshall rescue also attempted to get a visual on the subjects.
At 7:20 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 stating the two subjects had reached State Route 86 and no longer needed assistance.
Town of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: Forest rangers responded to a call from a distressed and unprepared hiker on the Hopkins Trail at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 5.
At 11:38 p.m., two rangers reached the subject on the Mount Van Hoevenberg Trail and escorted them back to the Adirondak Loj trailhead.
Town of Newcomb
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: Ray Brook Dispatch received radio transmission from the Great Camp Santanoni for a subject with a head injury after a bicycle accident at 12 p.m. on Sunday, July 6.
Two forest rangers assisted the subject back to the trailhead, where they were met by Newcomb EMS.
Town of Harrietstown
Franklin County
Wildland Fire: On Sunday, July 6 at 2 p.m., Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department (SLVFD) transported forest rangers by boat to respond to a report of a campfire that spread into the woods on Middle Saranac Islands campsite 77.
SLVFD members set up portable pumps to contain the fire to a tenth of an acre. Rangers assisted in the mop up of the fire.
Town of Clifton
St. Lawrence County
Wilderness Rescue: Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Garmin reporting an SOS beacon on Cranberry Lake at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 6. Garmin transferred the caller directly to Ray Brook Dispatch.
The 36-year-old from Syracuse had a leg injury and could not continue hiking the Cranberry Lake 50. Forest Rangers Emerson and Jansen responded via boat, stabilized the injury, and transported the patient across the lake and back to their vehicle.
