Lost hunters in Minerva, Twitchell Lake

Recent NYS DEC Forest Ranger actions:

Town of Minerva
Essex County
Wilderness Search: On Nov. 7 at 12:30 p.m., Forest Ranger Quinn contacted DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch advising he was commencing a search for a lost hunter on Northwoods Club Road. Forest Rangers Kabrehl and Sabo were also contacted and responded to assist. At 3:34 p.m., Forest Rangers located the 19-year-old hunter from Wilton based on coordinates he provided, which placed him on the southwest side of Pine Mountain in the Hudson Gorge Wilderness Area. The hunter and Rangers proceeded out of the woods and at 5:30 p.m. The hunter was reunited with his hunting party and Forest Rangers cleared the scene.

Town of Wilmington
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Nov. 7 at 3:35 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiking party on Bear Den Mountain reporting one of the hikers had sustained an ankle injury. Forest Rangers Sabo, Lewis, and Evans responded to assist. Upon locating the 29-year-old hiker from Framingham, Massachusetts, Forest Ranger Evans splinted the injured ankle and slowly began to escort the woman down to the base of the mountain where a six-wheeler was waiting to bring her out to the trailhead. At 8:55 p.m., the hiker was out of the woods and being transported to a local hospital for additional medical treatment and all Rangers cleared the scene.

Town of North Elba
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Nov. 8 at 9:25 a.m., Essex County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting an injured hiker on the trail for Wright Peak. The caller stated that a member of his party slipped and fell on a rock causing her to dislocate her right shoulder near the Wright and Algonquin junction. Forest Rangers LaPierre, Evans, and Lewis responded. Once on scene, Forest Ranger LaPierre assessed the injury and concluded it could not be reduced. Ranger LaPierre requested Advance Life Support (ALS) assistance for pain management. Lake Placid Rescue staged an ambulance at the Adirondack Loj while an ALS provider was transported into the woods by Ranger Lewis using an UTV. Ranger Evans followed them on a six-wheel ATV. Once with the 39-year-old hiker from Winhall, Vermont, the ALS provider administered pain medication and Rangers escorted the subject back to the ATV where she was given a ride out to a waiting ambulance.

Town of Webb
Herkimer County
Wilderness Rescue: On Nov. 8 at 7:47 p.m., Herkimer County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch requesting Forest Ranger assistance for a lost hunter in the area of Twitchell Lake. The hunter was last seen at 2:00 p.m. on the northern end of the lake in shorts and a t-shirt, carrying a backpack. A concerned friend went out to look for the man but only found the subject’s walkie talkie. Per 911, the Town of Webb Police Department and New York State Police were responding to the area. Forest Rangers Evans, Savarie, Candee, and McCartney responded to assist, along with New York State Police Aviation. The 52-year-old hunter from Honeoye Falls was located at 12:40 a.m. by Rangers Savarie and Candee. Rangers walked the hunter out and released him to his friends at their hunting camp at 3:00 a.m.