Injured hikers call for help at Whiteface, Cranberry Lake and Owls Head as well
Recent rescues in the past week by NYS DEC Forest Rangers in the Adirondack region:
Broken ankle on Whiteface
Town of North Elba, Essex County: On June 16 at 12:20 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call reporting a hiker had suffered a broken ankle on Whiteface Mountain. The caller said the injured hiker was closer to the summit than the trailhead. Several Forest Rangers responded and located the 45-year-old from Schenectady. Rangers splinted the hiker’s ankle and assisted the hiking party to the trailhead. The hiker refused further medical attention and resources were clear at 3:47 p.m.
Knee injury on the Cranberry Lake 50
Town of Clifton, St. Lawrence County: On June 20 at 7:45 a.m., Ray Brook Dispatch requested Forest Ranger assistance with an injured hiker at campsite 8 on the Cranberry Lake 50. Rangers Ellis and Emerson, and Assistant Forest Ranger Vogle launched the Forest Ranger Boat from the Cranberry Lake Field office. At 9:50 a.m., Rangers reached the 36-year-old from West Chazy. The hiker indicated they couldn’t continue hiking with a full pack and a knee injury. At 10 a.m., Ranger Benzel met the Ranger boat with a DEC Operations boat and transported the hiker to the field office where a friend picked them up. Resources were clear at 10:45 a.m.
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Overdue hikers on Giant Mountain
Town of Elizabethtown, Essex County: On June 21 at 9:50 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from someone reporting a hiking party overdue from hiking Giant Mountain. Ray Brook Dispatch reached the overdue party by phone and determined the hikers’ location was approximately 2.5 miles from the nearest trailhead. The hikers admitted they underestimated the hike, were too tired to continue, and only had one light for the group of three. At 11:55 p.m., Forest Rangers DuChene and Praczkajlo reached the subjects and assisted them to the trailhead.
Ankle injury on Owls Head
Town of Elizabethtown, Essex County: On June 22 at 12:20 p.m., a hiker called Forest Ranger Praczkajlo to report a non-weight bearing ankle injury on Owls Head Mountain. Coordinates placed the 68-year-old from Ballston Spa one mile from the trailhead. Several Rangers attended to the injury and used a wheeled litter to transport the patient off the mountain. The subject decided to seek further medical attention on their own. Resources were clear at 2:40 p.m.
Helicopter called for knee injury on Hurricane
Town of Keene, Essex County: On June 22 at 4:30 p.m. Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from someone who had suffered a knee injury on Hurricane Mountain. Due to the severity of the injury and their location on the mountain, Forest Rangers requested New York State Police (NYSP) Aviation assistance. NYSP Pilot Sgt. Beck flew to the site with Rangers Lewis and O’Connor. Ranger Lewis lowered Ranger O’Connor to tend to the subject’s injuries and secure them for a hoist. Ranger Lewis successfully hoisted the subject into the helicopter (photo at top). The patient was transported to Adirondack Medical Center. Resources were clear at 5:25 p.m.
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.
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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: http://on.ny.gov/NYSForestRangerRoster
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