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.

Warren County

Town of Bolton
Rescue and Recovery: On Dec. 16 at approximately 4 pm, Forest Ranger Evan Donegan responded to a call from Warren County 911 reporting two people had fallen through the ice on Edgecomb Pond in the town of Bolton. The Bolton Fire Department was just getting one subject into the ambulance for treatment when Ranger Donegan arrived. He quickly donned a cold water rescue suit and assisted the Warren County dive team to shuttle equipment across the pond to where the underwater search was initiated. Approximately 50 minutes after the subject had submerged, a diver located the man’s body in approximately 12 feet of water. The subject was brought to shore in a sled by Ranger Donegan and Bolton Ambulance. The body was released to the county coroner and the State Police are continuing their investigation.

DEC reminds ice anglers to use caution and commonsense as ice fishing season begins across much of New York State. Four inches or more of solid ice is considered to be safe for anglers accessing ice on foot. Ice anglers should note that ice thickness can vary on every body of water and even on the same body of water. For more information on ice fishing, visit DEC’s webpage.

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.