Recent Forest Ranger
Actions
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and
rescue incidents statewide. 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 from across New York State.
In 2020, DEC Forest Rangers
conducted 492 search and rescue missions, extinguished 192 wildfires that
burned a total of more than 1,122 acres, participated in eight prescribed
fires that served to rejuvenate more than 203 acres, and worked on cases
that resulted in 3,131 tickets or arrests.
"During New York's
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are enjoying the outdoors
than ever before and our Forest Rangers are on the front lines to help
people get outside responsibly and get home safely," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "Rangers' knowledge
of first aid, land navigation, and technical rescue techniques are
critical to the success of their missions, which for more than a century
have taken them from remote wilderness areas with rugged mountain peaks,
to white water rivers, and throughout our vast forests statewide."
Town
of Lyonsdale
Lewis County
Wilderness Rescue: On
Oct. 11 at 3:13 p.m., Forest Ranger Hanno overheard radio traffic about
an injured hiker along the Moose River. Ranger Hanno responded to the
location and assisted the Port Leyden Fire Department and Lewis County
Search and Rescue with packaging the 65-year-old woman from Port Lyden into a litter. The subject fell and injured her
right wrist, ankle, and head while hiking. At 4:31 p.m., the injured
hiker and rescue personnel were out of the woods and a Port Leyden
Ambulance transported the hiker to a local hospital for treatment.
Town
of Birdsall
Allegany County
Marijuana
Eradication and Arrest: On Oct. 14,
Forest Rangers Hettenbaugh and Thaine patrolled Gas Springs State Forest to
eradicate previously identified and well-tended marijuana plants. While
approaching the site, Ranger Hettenbaugh
noticed some of the plants were removed and heard someone running through
the woods. The Ranger chased after the subject and quickly located one
individual on the ground. Ranger Thaine took
custody of the first subject and Ranger Hettenbaugh
pursued and caught a second individual. The Rangers made arrests for
violations on State Lands and contacted New York State Police, which
handled the public health and penal law charges. State Police seized the
plants for evidence.
Marijuana plants seized
from Gas Springs State Forest
West
Canada Lake and Silver Lake Wilderness
Hamilton County
Lean-to and Bridge
Repair: On Oct. 14, Region 5
Forest Rangers, with the assistance of DEC Foresters and New York State
Police (NYSP) Aviation, conducted sling load missions in the West Canada
Lake Wilderness and Silver Lake Wilderness to repair lean-tos and
bridges. The lean-tos, primitive tent sites, and bridges in these wilderness
areas provide many opportunities for long-distance, overnight loop hikes
from many trailheads.
Rangers team with DEC
Foresters and NYSP Aviation to repair wilderness area lean-tos and
bridges
Rangers team with Foresters and NYSP Aviation to repair
wilderness area lean-tos and bridges
Town
of Lake George
Warren County
Wilderness Rescue: On
Oct. 15 at 10:50 a.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC's Ray
Brook Dispatch from a 29-year-old runner from Brooklyn lost on an old
forest road on the side of Prospect Mountain. Coordinates placed the
runner close to the road, but without a map or compass to navigate the
area, Forest Ranger Donegan responded to assist. At 11:58 a.m., Ranger
Donegan located the runner at the coordinates provided by 911 and both
were back out to Memorial Highway and clear of the scene at 12:20 p.m.
Town
of Osceola
Lewis County
Wilderness Rescue: On
Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m., Lewis County 911 contacted DEC's Ray Brook
Dispatch reporting a lost hunter in the East Fish Creek Easement. Forest
Ranger Hanno and Lt. Nowalk responded to the
coordinates provided by 911. Once on scene, Rangers found the hunter's
vehicle and proceeded toward a cellphone ping locating the 35-year-old
man from Benson, VT, about one mile away along the Salmon River. At 1:55
p.m., the hunter and Rangers were out of the woods and clear of the
scene.
Town
of Newcomb
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On
Oct. 16 at 1:50 p.m., DEC's Ray Brook Dispatch received a report from
passing hikers that a person with a dislocated shoulder was requesting
assistance on the Opalescent Trail in the High Peaks Wilderness Area.
Operations Caretakers Engel and Bastien responded from the Lake Colden
Outpost and intercepted the injured hiker on the lower section of the
Opalescent Trail. Due to severe thunderstorms, the caretakers planned to
return to the outpost with the injured hiker. Once at the outpost, they
successfully provided first aid to the dislocated shoulder of the
31-year-old woman from Albany. After the storms passed, the caretakers
and the hiker met up with Forest Ranger Martin and Assistant Forest
Ranger Adams near the trailhead. At 7:15 p.m., the hikers and rescuers
were out to the trailhead and the patient transferred to Newcomb
Ambulance for transport to a local hospital.
Speculator
Tree Farm
Hamilton County
Storm Damage
Response: On Oct. 16 at 4:07
p.m., Forest Rangers Thompson and Scott assisted the Speculator and Lake
Pleasant Fire Departments, town workers, and the Hamilton County
Sheriff's Office with tree removal from the roadways in the Speculator
Tree Farm. Trees fell during a storm and trapped several hunters and an
Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO). No injuries or property
damage were reported, but the tree prevented their ability to leave the
property. At 5:07 p.m., all roadways were clear of trees
and everyone trapped was out safely.
Town
of Hunter
Greene County
Dog Rescue: On
Oct. 17 at 4:15 p.m., Greene County 911 contacted Forest Ranger Fox about
a dog that fell into a cistern at the Kaaterskill
Hotel site. Ranger Fox and Assistant Forest Ranger France responded to
the location to assess the situation, along with Forest Rangers Martin,
Mitchell, and Skudlarek. Once on scene, Ranger
Fox found the dog and repelled down to the bottom of the well. Ranger Fox
determined the dog was uninjured before tying a webbing harness onto the
65-pound husky. The Rangers lifted the dog to the top of the well and
reunited her with her owner. All units were clear of the incident by 8
p.m.
Cistern where dog fell
Husky at bottom of the well prior to rescue
Town
of Lake Luzerne
Warren County
Wilderness Rescue: On
Oct. 17 at 7:10 p.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC's Ray
Brook Dispatch reporting a 75-year-old man from Lake Luzerne had injured
his left arm after falling in the woods. The caller advised he was having
difficulty walking and attributed it to his diabetes. Forest Rangers
Donegan and Savarie responded to the hiker's
location, stabilized his injury, and escorted him out of the woods at
8:45 p.m. The Rangers gave the subject a courtesy ride back to his home
where he advised he would seek further medical assistance on his own.
Town
of Webb
Herkimer County
Wilderness Rescue: On
Oct. 17 at 11:08 p.m., Herkimer County 911 contacted Ray Brook Dispatch
reporting a 52-year-old man from Lowville was overdue from hunting. The
hunter's family became concerned when he didn't return after dark and they located his vehicle at the intersection
of Stillwater and Basket Factory roads in the Independence River Wild
Forest. County 911 advised that an officer from the Town of Webb Police
Department was responding to the intersection to meet the reporting
party. Forest Rangers Hanno and Thomes
responded to assist. At 1:05 a.m., Ranger Hanno advised Dispatch that
they guided the missing hunter out to their location using sirens. The
subject was in good health and required no additional assistance.
Town
of Conewango
Cattaraugus County
Wilderness Search: On
Oct. 18 at 2:30 a.m., Forest Rangers Krulish
and Kennedy responded to a search for a 25-year-old man from Conewango
who had walked away from his home. Attempts from friends and neighbors to
locate the subject on Sunday evening were not successful. Forest Rangers
instructed the searchers to look in the houses and barns of anyone with
ties to the young man. Early on Monday morning, the subject was located in a relative's home and Rangers were
clear of the scene at 6:30 a.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.
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.
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