Weekend, July 6-7, 2024 – WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE UNPREPARED FOR THAT HIKE

By admin

YOU THOUGHT THE

STREETS OF NEW YORK

WERE DANGEROUS…..

TRY THE GREAT

OUTDOORS OF

NEW YORK STATE

WEEKEND, JULY 6-7,  2024

NEW YORK ALMANACK

ISSUE # 1266

Lost Hikers Keep Rangers Busy Across Upstate New York

July 1, 2024 by Editorial Staff

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. 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 and engage in policing on New York State Lands.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers.

Town of Warrensburg, Warren County
Wilderness Search: On June 18, at 11:45 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a concerned party about a subject who was last seen the day before on the Pack Forest nature trail. Forest Rangers Kabrehl and Savarie performed linear searches overnight with negative results. At 8:45 a.m., the Warren County Sheriff’s office advised the 45-year-old from Glens Falls was located walking on Route 9 without shoes or a shirt. Forest Ranger Captain Ganswindt and Ranger Savarie interviewed the subject who advised he had become lost on June 17 and found his way to the main road early on June 19. A sheriff’s deputy transported the subject to the hospital for dehydration treatment.

Town of Clifton, St. Lawrence County
Water Search: On June 19, at 7:48 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a kayaker who had become separated from his paddling partner and could not find his way back to their camp on Bog Lake. Forest Ranger Jansen found the kayaker on Grass Pond and helped him back to the campsite. Resources were clear at 10:10 p.m.

Town of Ticonderoga, Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 20 at 3 p.m., Forest Rangers responded to Putnam Pond Campground for a report of a subject who had fallen and broken his leg across the water from the main area of the campground. Three Rangers, EMTs, and the Ticonderoga Fire Department used motorboats to reach the 67-year-old from Warwick. The rescue crew packaged the subject onto a back board and carried him to one of the docked boats across the water to a waiting ambulance. Resources were clear at 6 p.m.

Town of Philipstown, Putnam County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 21, at 2:45 p.m., Forest Rangers Pries and Russo responded to a call for a hiker going in and out of consciousness on the Breakneck Ridge trail. The subject’s hiking companion shared information about the hiker with the Hudson Highlands State Park Manager. Rangers and staff from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) hiked up to the coordinates provided by Putnam County Dispatch. At 4 p.m., rescue crews reached the 18-year-old from Holbrook and provided food, water, and electrolytes. The crew used a wheeled litter to get the subject down the mountain. A Putnam County Paramedic examined the hiker and an ambulance transported her to a hospital for further assistance. Resources were clear at 5:20 p.m.

Town of Mamakating, Sullivan County
Wilderness Rescue: On June 22 at 4:30 p.m., a group of five hikers called Sullivan County 911 to report they were lost in Roosa Gap State Forest and couldn’t find their way back to the Cox Road trailhead. At 6:30 p.m., Forest Ranger Rusher reached the group from Queens, approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead.

The group thought the Long Path was a one-mile loop and had not prepared to be outside in the extremely hot weather. The group had only brought one bottle of water for each person. One member of the party was dizzy and nauseated due to heat exhaustion. Ranger Rusher provided food, water, and electrolytes to everyone in the group so they could continue hiking down. At 8:10 p.m., Summitville Fire Department hiked in with additional water for the group. At 8:45 p.m., the group reached the trailhead and were checked out by EMS.

Town of Keene, Essex County
Wilderness Search: On June 22 at 4:45 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a group of hikers reporting a 19-year-old member of their party had hiked ahead of them on Mount Marcy and was presumed lost. Forest Ranger Praczkajlo spoke to the summit steward who saw the hiker near the peak at 10:40 a.m., and a report from John’s Brook Lodge indicated the hiker was spotted at 3:30 p.m., lying down from exhaustion. At 5:40 p.m., Ranger Praczkajlo met the hiker as he reached the trailhead and reunited him with his hiking party.

Our favorite benches are the two located on the Senior Center Terrace. These were rescued by the RIHS and it took years for RIOC to paint and preserve them for the community. Be sure to check them out on the terrace, a popular lunch spot for our seniors. We extend our gratitude to Lisa Fernandez for tending the garden. Judith Berdy

CREDITS
NEW YORK ALMANACK

Photo: A Forest Ranger leads lost hikers from Queens found in Roosa Gap State Forest out of the woods in Junee 2024 (DEC Photo).

All image are copyrighted (c) Roosevelt Island Historical Society unless otherwise indicated
THIS PUBLICATION FUNDED BY DISCRETIONARY FUNDS FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBER JULIE MENIN & ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION PUBLIC PURPOSE FUNDS.

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