Adirondack Forest Ranger Search and Rescue

6/15-6/21/15

Essex County
Town of Wilmington
Wilmington Wild Forest
Distressed Hiker: On June 17, 2015 at 5:00 p.m., Essex County 911 notified DEC Ray Brook Dispatch of a 51-year-old man from Brooklyn, MI, conscious but unable to get out of the AuSable River at the Wilmington Flume. One DEC Forest Ranger responded along with Wilmington Fire Department and EMS Personnel. The man managed to get out of the water by the time they arrived, but was trapped on a ledge approximately 40 feet downstream and unable to return to the shoreline. The Forest Ranger directed setup of a belay line for lowering and hauling up the rescuer and hiker. The man had been hiking on a herd path, taking photos, when he leaned around a tree and slipped and fell into the AuSable River. Emergency crews transported him to Adirondack Medical Center in Lake Placid for evaluation at 5:55 p.m.

Town of Wilmington
McKenzie Mountain Wilderness
Lost Hikers On June 20, 2015 at 7:04 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two female hikers lost on a trail on Whiteface Mountain. The 25-year-old woman from Brooklyn and 26-year-old woman from Ballston Falls, NY lost the trail while returning to Connery Pond from Whiteface Landing. Neither hiker carried a map, compass or light. Dispatch advised the hikers to call 911 to obtain GPS coordinates from their cell phones. A DEC Forest Ranger responded by boat, arriving at Whiteface Landing at 8:14 p.m. During the course of this search, dispatch asked the women to contact 911 two additional times for coordinates, but the coordinates were incorrect. The Forest Ranger eventually made verbal contact with the hikers and located them in good condition at 11:25 p.m. The Ranger escorted them back to Whiteface Landing where they traveled by boat to the Lake Placid marina. The Ranger then gave them a ride back to their vehicle.

Herkimer County
Town of Webb
Fulton Chain Wild Forest
Lost Hiker: On June 21, 2015 at 3:45 p.m., a DEC Forest Ranger on patrol in the Fulton Chain Wild Forest learned of a female hiker lost on Bald Mountain. The 36-year-old female from Utica, NY called Herkimer County 911 reporting she had become disoriented ¼ mile from the top and lost the trail. Additional Forest Rangers responded. They located the women in good condition shortly after arriving. The incident concluded at 5:50 p.m.

Washington County
Town of Fort Ann
Lake George Wild Forest
Distressed Hiker: On June 20, 2015 at 5:20 p.m., Washington County 911 notified DEC Ray Brook Dispatch of a female hiker in medical distress on Buck Mountain. The 51-year-old woman from Wilton, NY could not continue the hike. DEC Forest Rangers responded with New York State Police Aviation to the summit at 8:00 p.m. They hoisted the woman out at 8:13 p.m. and turned her over to North Queensbury EMS at 8:23 p.m. Forest Rangers escorted the remaining member of the hiking party to the trailhead. All units were clear at 10:06 p.m.

Natural Selection at work.

Essex County
Town of North Elba
McKenzie Mountain Wilderness
Lost Hikers: On June 23, 2015 at 9:20 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from the Lake Placid Fire Department requesting assistance in locating two 19-year-old men - one from New York City and the other from Spring Valley, NY - missing from Buck Island on Lake Placid since 4 p.m. The Lake Placid Fire Department located the two men's boat at Whiteface Landing. Two DEC Forest Rangers responded to Whiteface Landing at 10:30 p.m. After checking the lean-tos and not locating the two men, one Forest Ranger continued up the Whiteface Mountain Trail while the other Ranger checked the Connery Pond Trail. At 1:49 a.m., the Forest Ranger heading up Whiteface Mountain made voice contact with the men. He eventually located them in fair condition in a drainage area off the trail. The Ranger provided them with food and water and escorted them back to the trailhead and then to the place where they were staying on Buck Island at 4:00 a.m.

Town of Newcomb
High Peaks Wilderness
Injured Hiker: On June 25, 2015 at 4:15 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call reporting an injured 48-year-old woman from Dayton, OH near the top of Panther Mountain in the Santanoni Mountain Range. The woman sustained a lower leg injury and said she could not walk. DEC Forest Rangers responded and requested assistance from New York State Police Aviation. Forest Rangers prepared her for transport to Newcomb Air Strip where paramedics from the Newcomb Ambulance Squad waited. After evaluation, the woman decided she would seek medical assistance on her own. Forest Rangers transported her back to her vehicle and the incident concluded at 6:45 p.m.

Town of North Elba
High Peaks Wilderness
Injured Hiker: On June 26, 2015 at 6:30 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from an injured hiker near the junction of the Tabletop and Mt. Marcy trail. The 62-year-old man from Albany, NY fell and sustained a lower leg injury. An Assistant DEC Forest Ranger responded from the Marcy Dam Interior Outpost and reached the hiker at 8:17 p.m. The Forest Ranger helped the man down the trail to Marcy Dam where an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) waited. Rangers transported the man to the Adirondack Loj at 11:45 p.m. He said he would seek medical assistance on his own.

Town of Newcomb
Hudson Gorge Wilderness
Overdue Hiker: On June 27 at 12:35 a.m., Washington County 911 transferred a call to DEC Central Dispatch from the son of an overdue hiker. He reported that his 58-year-old mother, from Fort Edward, went hiking on Thursday, June 25 and he had not heard from her since. He thought she had gone to the Shelving Rock area but, after talking with family members, he determined she might have gone to Ok Slip Falls. The Washington County Sheriff's Department responded to the Shelving Rock trailhead but did not locate her vehicle. DEC Forest Rangers located her vehicle at the Ok Slip Falls trailhead and some of her personal items along the Hudson River but did not find her. Dispatch advised the rafting companies that operate on the Hudson River to be on the lookout for the missing woman. At 1:40 p.m., Adirondack River Outfitters notified Dispatch that a guided raft picked up a lost hiker along the Hudson River and brought her to their base at North River. Warren County EMS evaluated her and Rangers briefly interviewed the woman before releasing her. The incident concluded at 3:30 p.m.

Town of North Elba
High Peaks Wilderness
Lost Hiker: On June 28, 2015 at 5:00 a.m., DEC Central Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 reporting a lost hiker on Mt. Marcy. Essex County 911 obtained coordinates indicating the 35-year-old man from Cato, NY was near the summit of Mt. Marcy on the Panther Gorge side. Essex County transferred the hiker to Ray Brook Dispatch. He said he was on a trail with a compass and a GPS but did not know where he was. He also reported being in medical distress as he was not prepared for the conditions. Three DEC Forest Rangers, an Assistant Forest Ranger and the Lake Colden Caretaker responded initially. However, at 8:03 a.m., the hiker indicated by text he was now lost off trail and Dispatch advised him to call 911 again to establish a new set of coordinates. The new coordinates indicated he was closer to Schofield Cobble just north of the trail from Mt. Marcy to Panther Gorge. An additional Forest Ranger responded to the Adirondack Mountain Reserve to hike to Panther Gorge. Forest Rangers responded with New York State Police Aviation to search from the air. At 2:02 p.m., the Assistant Forest Ranger and the Lake Colden caretaker located the hiker. Additional Rangers and a critical care technician from Keene Valley Rescue arrived for an initial medical assessment. They initiated a carry-out after weather conditions prevented an aviation rescue. The critical care technician administered fluids to the hiker, enabling him to alternate between walking and being carried. The carry out team brought him to Marcy Landing and then transported him by boat across the Ausable Lakes to a waiting ambulance. The ambulance then transported the man at 3:45 a.m. to Elizabethtown Hospital for treatment.

Washington County
Private Land
Town of Whitehall
Lost Motorists: On June 25, 2015 at 9:30 p.m., DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance from the Washington County Sheriff's Department in locating a 23-year-old man from Cambridge, NY, an 18-year-old man from Shushan, NY, and an 18-year-old woman from White Creek, NY. The group went off-road riding and became lost and stuck on old logging roads. DEC Forest Rangers responded and through text messages and broken cell phone calls determined the group was near the New York/Vermont border on logging roads behind a private residence. Forest Rangers and the landowner headed out to the logging roads behind the property and relied on text messages and fresh tire tracks to determine the direction of travel. They also advised the group to start blowing their horns. The Forest Rangers and landowner located the group at 12:15 a.m. in good condition. They escorted them to another road and returned them to a third party. The vehicles will be retrieved at a later date. The incident concluded at 1:00 a.m.

ScottyJack wrote

Town of Newcomb
Hudson Gorge Wilderness
Overdue Hiker: On June 27 at 12:35 a.m., Washington County 911 transferred a call to DEC Central Dispatch from the son of an overdue hiker. He reported that his 58-year-old mother, from Fort Edward, went hiking on Thursday, June 25 and he had not heard from her since. He thought she had gone to the Shelving Rock area but, after talking with family members, he determined she might have gone to Ok Slip Falls. The Washington County Sheriff's Department responded to the Shelving Rock trailhead but did not locate her vehicle. DEC Forest Rangers located her vehicle at the Ok Slip Falls trailhead and some of her personal items along the Hudson River but did not find her. Dispatch advised the rafting companies that operate on the Hudson River to be on the lookout for the missing woman. At 1:40 p.m., Adirondack River Outfitters notified Dispatch that a guided raft picked up a lost hiker along the Hudson River and brought her to their base at North River. Warren County EMS evaluated her and Rangers briefly interviewed the woman before releasing her. The incident concluded at 3:30 p.m.

The "personal items" they found were a small plastic water bottle and a lunch box, and apparently her first instinct was to ditch them.

I saw some investigators a half mile past OK slip, but apparently the lady was found about five miles downstream. She said when she got closed out and couldn't walk on shore any more, she  would hop in an swim.

Welcome back T.  Who are you work for this summer?

Closed out = walls to steep to hike along shore?

Hard to figure why she didn't just walk back up the trail at OK.

you cant file a missing person report for 48 hours so why can you file a missing hiker report whenever you get nervous.  If people don't want the risk of the mountain stay on the sidewalks.