Recent Forest Ranger Actions
Town of Benson, Hamilton County
Swiftwater Rescue: On May 4 at 12:30 p.m., while conducting a fly-over patrol, New York State Police (NYSP) Aviation noticed a vehicle in West Stony Creek and notified Forest Ranger Lt. Dave Kallen. Ranger Kallen responded to the location and found a 61-year-old man from Northville trapped in a vehicle about 25 feet from shore down a 15-foot embankment.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, NYSP Troop G, Mayfield, Northville, Edinburg, and Hope fire departments responded to the scene along with Forest Rangers Melissa Milano and David Nally, who brought cold water gear and a small inflatable watercraft to help rescue the trapped motorist from swift water conditions. Forest Rangers and fire department personnel secured the vehicle to shore as Lt. Kallen, a deputy from the Sheriff’s Office, and fire department members waded out to the motorist to bring him back to shore using an inflatable kayak. Once on shore, emergency personnel put high angle rescue rigging in place to get the man up the steep embankment to a waiting ambulance. The ambulance then transported the man to a helicopter bound for a nearby hospital. At 1:40 p.m., the incident concluded and ECO Jason Hilliard checked for any environmental hazards such as debris and possible leaks from the damaged vehicle.
Vehicle plunges into West Stony Creek, trapping driver (Photo courtesy of Bill Mahan)
Town of Moreau
Saratoga County
Wilderness Rescue: On May 4 at 3:30 p.m., Saratoga County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch from two female hikers in Moreau State Park who called for assistance after taking a few wrong turns trying to get back to the trailhead off Old Saratoga Road from the summit of Grant Mountain. Dispatchers obtained coordinates that placed the hikers on the west side of the mountain when they should have been on the east side. The 22-year-old from Mechanicville and 23-year-old from Gansevoort were directed to remain at their location until help arrived. Forest Rangers Joe Hess and Tony Goetke responded to the hikers’ location along with New York State Park Police, who had also received a call and were heading to assist. At 5:08 p.m., Dispatch received notification that Park Police located the hikers and were walking them out to the trailhead.
Town of Long Lake
Hamilton County
Wilderness Rescue: On May 6 at 12:01 a.m., Hamilton County 911 contacted DEC’s Central Dispatch following an alert from a Garmin Emergency Beacon from two men camping on Forked Lake. One of the men was experiencing dizziness and loss of equilibrium. Coordinates provided by 911 indicated the men were in a lean-to on the southwestern side of the lake. Forest Rangers Melissa Milano and Jason Scott responded to the location and provided first aid to the ailing man. Rangers then walked the 65-year-old man from Averill Park and the 66-year-old man from Delanson out of the woods to a road where the ill man was transported to a local hospital for additional medical treatment. Rangers were cleared of the scene at 2:22 a.m.
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