New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks.

Herkimer County

Town of Ohio
Rescue: On June 9 at 2:30 pm, Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance for an overturned boat on Gull Lake. The female subject stated that her husband, a 28-year-old from Albany, was stranded on a small rock island one mile off shore. Rangers Robert Coscomb and Lt. Scott Murphy and Environmental Conservation Officer Shana Hutton responded and hiked in to Gull Lake with a canoe. They located the female subject at the Gull Lake lean-to. The subject explained that she, her husband, and their beagle were paddling at the east end of Gull Lake and began taking on water from wind and choppy waves. After the canoe began to sink, they swam to a nearby rock outcropping on the lake. The female subject then swam one mile across the lake to call for assistance. The husband was left behind due to health issues. Rangers paddled across the lake and located the husband and dog on the small rock island. The male subject was brought back across the lake and reunited with his wife at 5:10 pm. The subjects required no medical attention and the incident concluded at 6:38 pm.

Essex County

Town of Schroon
Rescue: On June 25 at 8:33 a.m., Essex County 911 transferred a call from the wife of an injured man on the summit of Pharaoh Mountain to DEC Ray Brook Dispatch. The injured 29-year-old man slipped and fell on a rock, twisting his ankle. Three Forest Rangers, an Assistant Forest Ranger, and State Police Aviation responded. Due to the remote location and incoming stormy weather, the injured man was hoisted from the summit and taken to the Schroon Lake Airport. Schroon Lake EMS transported him to the hospital.

Warren County

Town of Thurman
Rescue: On June 10 at 2:38 pm, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a report of an injury on Crane Mountain from Warren County 911. The injured 54-year-old female sustained an ankle injury while descending a steep section of trail and requested assistance because she was unable to put weight on her ankle. Five Forest Rangers, one Assistant Forest Ranger, and one Back Country Steward responded. With the assistance of Fire Department and EMS personnel, the subject was located approximately one mile from the trailhead in a steep rocky area. Forest Rangers and EMTs assessed the injury and requested New York State Police Aviation. She was hoisted by NYSP Aviation and brought to a nearby landing zone, where she was then transported via ambulance to a local hospital for further medical care.

Be Prepared: Properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety webpage and Adirondack Trail Information webpage for more information about where you intend to travel. The Adirondack Almanack reports weekly Outdoor Conditions each Thursday afternoon.