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 Keene
Wildland Search: At 10 am on March 21, NYSP asked Forest Rangers to help find a 17-year-old boy who ran away from Keene Central School. The Keene Valley Fire Department, eight Forest Rangers, and one ECO joined State Police in the search. A command post was established at the Keene Valley Fire House. Just before 1 pm, the teenager was located at the 1,800-foot elevation mark on the Snowy Mountain Trail. The subject was treated for mild hypothermia and released to his family.

Town of North Elba
Wilderness Rescue: On March 23, DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a phone call from a 59-year-old Rochester woman who suffered an injury while cross-country skiing on the Jack Rabbit Trail in the McKenzie Mountain Wild Forest. Two Forest Rangers responded by snowmobile and found the woman unable to walk on her own. Within 40 minutes of the call, the two Rangers located the injured woman, provided first aid, and evacuated her to a waiting Saranac Lake ambulance.

Town of Keene
Wilderness Rescue: On March 24, Ranger Jim Giglinto was on backcountry patrol in the Eastern Adirondack High Peaks when he came upon an injured skier. Giglinto provided first aid while a second Ranger brought a snowmobile to Marcy Dam. From there, the injured skier was transported by snowmobile to the Adirondak Loj parking area. Within two hours of the call, the 53-year-old Glenford man was back at his vehicle and well enough to seek further medical treatment on his own.

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.