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.

Clinton County

Town of Black Brook
Wildland Search: At 7:02 pm on July 18, Ray Brook Dispatch received a call reporting two overdue hikers separated from their group of five while hiking the Loop Trail around Taylor Pond. A 30-year-old man and 9-year-old girl from South Carolina fell behind while hiking. As the day got late, the caller felt concerned about the well-being of the inexperienced hikers once they lost radio contact at the far end of the lake. Forest Rangers David Russell and Peter Evans were dispatched to the scene with a motorboat and an ATV. By 9 pm, the two hikers were out of the woods and in good condition at their camp at the Taylor Pond Campground.

Essex County

Town of North Elba
Wilderness Rescue: On July 17 at 7:22 am, DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a request to assist a 60-year-old Binghamton woman in medical distress at a camping area one mile above Marcy Dam. When the Marcy Dam Caretaker arrived at the subject’s location, the woman was alert but unresponsive to questions. At 8:35 am, Ranger Kevin Burns and a backcountry medic were inserted at Marcy Dam by New York State Police helicopter and reached the woman within 15 minutes. Additional Rangers were inserted to safely carry the woman to Marcy Dam for extraction by helicopter. By 10:30 am, the subject was in the helicopter and transported to Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake for treatment.

Town of Elizabethtown
Wildland Search: At 9:30 pm on July 20, a 31-year-old Elizabethtown woman reported to 911 that she and her three children, ages 13, 9, and 5, were lost on Blueberry Mountain. A Forest Ranger responded to her cell phone coordinate location and found the group by 10:20 pm. Within 20 minutes, the Ranger had the family out of the woods with no need for medical care.

Franklin County

Town of Harrietstown
Water Rescue: At 11:40 am on July 22, a man and woman from Schenectady reported to 911 that they were stranded by severe winds near Hungry Bay on Middle Saranac Lake and unable to safely return to South Inlet. As Forest Ranger Peter Evans and Scott Sabo searched for the couple by motorboat, a second pair of canoers from Philadelphia called 911 reporting that they, too, were stranded in the vicinity. The Rangers found both couples and transported all safely to South Inlet and then retrieved their gear and boats. By 4 pm, the canoers were safely at their vehicles with their boats and equipment.

Warren County

Town of Lake George
Wildland Search: At 6 pm on July 19, a 42-year-old Hicksville man and 43-year-old Massapequa woman reported to 911 they were disoriented while hiking in the Shelving Rock Area along the eastern shore of Lake George. One Forest Ranger teamed up with a Lake George Park Commission Patrol Boat and located the pair along the shoreline. With a few simple directions, the two were able to walk back to their vehicle. Once at their car at 8:45 pm, the pair called the Ranger to confirm they were safe and on their way home.

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.