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.

Essex County

Town of Newcomb
Hiker Assistance: On December 21 at 2:29 pm, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for assistance from a group of three hikers located at Elk Lake Lodge. One member of the group, a 23-year old New City woman had become ill during a multi-day backpacking trip in the Dix Mountain Wilderness. Rather than returning the long distance to their vehicle parked on Route 73, the group detoured to Elk Lake to call for help. Forest Rangers Jamison Martin and Nancy Ganswindt provided the group a courtesy ride back to their vehicle. The ill hiker indicated she would seek medical assistance on her own and all were cleared of the scene by 3:30 pm.

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.