Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 6 at 10:11 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker who reporter another hiker with an ankle injury on Giant Mountain in the Giant Mountain Wilderness Area. The caller stated that the injured hiker was less than a half-mile up the trail. Forest Rangers Lewis, Curcio, Martin, and Sabo responded to assist. Ranger Lewis made contact with New York State Police Trooper Mendelsohn, who was flagged down and was with the 54-year-old hiker from Saratoga Springs about three-tenths of a mile in on the trail. While Ranger Lewis hiked in, Rangers Martin and Sabo retrieved a litter and backpack carriers from the Keene Valley Fire Department and brought them to the injured hiker’s location. Rangers stabilized the injury and packaged her in the litter for carry out. Once out of the woods, the hiker declined additional medical treatment. Resources were clear of the scene at 12:11 a.m.

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Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Fort Ann
Washington County
Wilderness Rescue: On Oct. 1 at 6:53 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance from two hikers who became disoriented while hiking Sleeping Beauty Mountain. The 65- and 69-year-old hikers from Long Island were on a trail, but were not sure which trail, as the trail markers were not the same color as the markers on their original trail. Neither hiker had headlamps, maps, food, water, or hiking equipment. At 9:40 p.m., Forest Rangers Donegan and Arnold located the couple on the trail near Bumps Pond, approximately 1.5 miles from the trailhead. The Rangers provided the hikers with jackets, food, and water before escorting them to the trailhead. Forest Rangers and the hikers were back at the trailhead at 12:20 a.m.

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Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Sept. 14, at 11:14 a.m., Essex County 911 contacted DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a hiker with a knee injury on the summit of Hopkins Mountain in the Giant Mountain Wilderness. Rangers Lewis, Morehouse, Martin, and O’Connor responded. Rangers Lewis and Morehouse stabilized the hiker’s knee and carried him down the trail where he was transferred to a 6×6 UTV. The hiker was taken to the trailhead where he was met by his spouse and then driven to a hospital. Resources were clear at 4 p.m.

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Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Speculator
Hamilton County
Wilderness Search: On Sept. 8 at 4:37 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call reporting a 24-year-old despondent man from New Jersey heading to the Siamese Pond Wilderness Area. Rangers Kerr and Thompson responded along with New York State Police (NYSP) and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Officers. The subject’s vehicle was located, and Rangers searched areas he was likely to be found, without success. The next morning a command post was established at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and search efforts continued with a team of six Forest Rangers. At 12:21 p.m., Rangers located the man’s camp, but he wasn’t there. Two hours later, Rangers found the subject and carried him out of the woods. He was transported to a medical facility for evaluation. Resources were clear from the scene at 5:12 p.m.

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Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 24 at 12:20 p.m., Forest Ranger Black responded to a report of a 70-year-old woman from New York City suffering from exhaustion on the trail to Cascade Mountain. At 1:35 p.m., Ranger Black reached the hiker’s location and determined she could walk back to the trailhead. At 2:50 p.m., the Ranger and hiker were out of the woods and the hiker declined further medical care.

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Town of Wilmington
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 18 at 7:26 p.m., Essex County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch from a woman reporting her 58-year-old husband had fallen, striking his head on the Flume Trail in the Wilmington Wild Forest. Forest Ranger O’Connor responded with Wilmington EMS. The hiker from Ohio was carried out to an ATV with the assistance of EMS and New York State Police and driven to the trailhead. At 8:42, the hiker was transferred to a waiting ambulance for further medical treatment.

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On July 30, ECO Gates responded to a house explosion in the town of Webb. The blast sent debris flying more than 200 yards into First Lake on the Fulton Chain, impacting an estimated 20 homes in the surrounding area.

Herkimer County soon declared a State of Emergency. ECO Gates, accompanied by ECO Jakaub and DEC Spill Responder Reichinger, deployed a boat to help assess the damage and look for debris in the lake.

Some fuel entered the lake, causing a sheen, and the ECOs assisted Reichinger to deploy a boom designed to pick up the oil. The following day, the Officers joined DEC Spill Responder Furlong to coordinate the use of a harbor boom from Eggan Environmental Services. The ECOs assisted Old Forge Fire Department and Eggan Environmental Services with deployment of the harbor boom using a patrol boat.

The boom will contain the spill and allow crews to remove the fuel from the surface so it would not enter the greater lake

Photo: ECO Noyes deploys boom/DEC

Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Elizabethtown
Essex County
Campground Enforcement: On Aug. 9 at 4:15 a.m., DEC’s Central Dispatch received a call from the caretaker at Lincoln Pond Campground requesting Forest Ranger assistance to help address multiple, ongoing violations. Forest Ranger Lt. Dubay was notified, and Forest Rangers Quinn and Booth responded. Upon their investigation, Rangers issued 16 tickets for underage drinking.

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Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Inlet
Hamilton County
Wilderness Rescue: On July 15 at 1 p.m., DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officer Gates contacted DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch advising that he had overheard radio traffic regarding a 74-year-old subject from Hamburg with an ankle injury near the top of Black Bear Mountain. Four Forest Rangers and one AFR responded to assist, along with resources from Herkimer County. At 4:07 p.m., Forest Ranger Hanno advised that Rangers carried the injured hiker to the trailhead where they were met by EMS. The subject was transferred to a waiting ambulance for transport to a local hospital.

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