Town of North Elba
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Feb. 27 at 3:15 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance with a lost hiker in the vicinity of Mount Marcy, the 51-year-old from New Jersey lost the trail due to snow cover. Coordinates placed the hiker near the Hopkins Junction. Rangers Evans and O’Connor made phone contact with the hiker and guided him back towards the Van Hoevenberg trail. Ranger Evans reached the hiker near Marcy Dam. The subject was approaching hypothermic conditions. Ranger Evans brought the subject back to his vehicle and no further medical care was required. Resources were clear at 8 p.m.

Hamlet of North Creek
Warren County
Mountain Rescue Training: On March 2 and 3, Forest Ranger Donegan led 20 Rangers in mountain rescue training on Gore Mountain. The training included accessing and evaluating an injured patient in technical winter terrain, and using a rope rescue system to get a patient to safety.

Mountain rescue training at Gore. NYS DEC photo.

Mountain rescue training at Gore. NYS DEC photo.

Town of Lowville
Lewis County
Wilderness Recovery: On March 2 at 9 a.m., Lowville Police requested Forest Ranger assistance with the search for a missing subject last seen three days earlier. Six Rangers joined three Sheriff’s deputies, and two members of the Lowville Police Department in the search. At 2:45 p.m., tree crews working in the area reported seeing a body in Mill Creek. Rangers responded and found the deceased 67-year-old from Lowville. Rangers removed the man’s body using a litter and rope system.

Town of Schroon
Essex County
Wilderness Recovery: On March 4 at 2:15 a.m., Essex County requested Forest Ranger assistance with the search for a missing person suspected of falling through the ice while snowmobiling on Schroon Lake earlier in the evening. Rangers responded in an airboat. The snow and wind slowed the response. At 8:47 a.m., the 71-year-old from Schenectady was found deceased. Rangers transported the body to shore and turned the deceased over to Schroon Lake Rescue. The case was turned over to New York State Police investigators.

Schroon Lake search. NYS DEC photo.

Schroon Lake search. NYS DEC photo.

Village of Saranac Lake
Essex and Franklin Counties
Saranac Lake 3P: On March 5, six off-duty Forest Rangers participated in the Saranac Lake 3P (Pedal, Paddle, and Pole.) Lieutenant Burns skied down Mt. Pisgah, Ranger O’Connor rode a fat bike from Mt. Pisgah to Dewey Mountain, Ranger Praczkajlo went cross-country skiing at Dewey Mountain, Ranger Adams biked to Beaver Park, Ranger Lewis paddled from Beaver Park to Saranac Lake Fish and Game Club, and Ranger Duchene ran uphill from the game club to the Mt. Pisgah finish line. The team finished in third place out of 13 teams with a time of one hour and 45 minutes.

(From left) Rangers Lewis, Praczkajlo, O’Connor, Duchene, Lt. Burns, and Ranger Adams at Saranac 3P. NYS DEC photo.

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information, and Catskill Backcountry Information webpages for more information.

If a person needs a Forest Ranger, whether it’s for a search and rescue, to report a wildfire, or to report illegal activity on state lands and easements, they should call 833-NYS-RANGERS. If a person needs urgent assistance, they can call 911. To contact a Forest Ranger for information about a specific location, the DEC website has phone numbers for every Ranger listed by region.