Dramatic air rescue from Elk Pass in High Peaks credited with saving teen’s life
By Rick Karlin
New York State Forest Rangers on July 29 scrambled to rescue a 14-year-old hiker who was undergoing hyperthermia, a form of heat stroke, after climbing Dial and Nippletop mountains in the Adirondack High Peaks in near-90 degree temperatures.
The young man, who was with a group from Camp Chingachook on Lake George, started lapsing in and out of consciousness after the hike.
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Counselors led the group to their overnight campsite near Elk Pass at the base of the mountains and called 911. A dispatcher connected the caller to the state Department of Conservation’s forest ranger station at 6:56 p.m.
Due to spotty cell service, the counselors had to constantly move about in order to get a better signal, according to a person with knowledge of the incident.
Those on the scene worked to help hydrate the youth, who is from Needham, Mass. In addition, responders told counselors to keep the teen in the shade and aggressively cool him down with water, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Air rescue needed
Realizing the urgency of the situation, DEC called in a state police helicopter.
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They had to move quickly as darkness was closing in.
The state police helicopter dropped rangers Andrew Lewis and Parick O’Dell in a swamp near the campers.
The rangers carried the 14-year-old through the swamp, which at some points was waist deep in water and mud, to the helicopter.
The helicopter carries the boy to an ambulance waiting at Marcy Field. The ambulance transported him to the Elizabethtown hospital, where he made a full recovery.
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As for the remaining campers, Ranger Logan Quinn suggested they spend the night and hike out in the morning. The youth were fatigued from a full day of hiking and did not have enough headlamps for all the campers.
Resources were clear at 8:43 p.m.
Photo at top: A view of Dial Mountain from Nippletop. Explorer file photo by Lisa Ballard
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