New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 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 statewide.
HAMLET OF PAUL SMITHS, TRAINING
On May 1 and 2, Forest Ranger Lieutenant LaPierre and rangers Adams, Bowler and Corey taught the basic wildland search course for members of Search and Rescue of the Northern Adirondacks.
Rangers often work together with SARNAK on search and rescue missions, so training together makes things more efficient in the event of an emergency.
TOWN OF KEENE, WILDERNESS RESCUE
On May 9 at 9:30 p.m., two forest rangers responded to a dropped 911 call near the Garden parking lot and trailhead. Essex County Dispatch retrieved cell phone coordinates that placed a 22- and 26-year-old several hundred feet off trail between the Brothers and Phelps trails.
At 10:45 p.m., dispatchers made contact with a friend of the hikers, who received a text message with updated coordinates that placed the hikers in Cold Brook Pass in Newcomb.
At 1:30 a.m., Lake Colden Caretaker Raudonis reached the pair and assisted them to the outpost to get warm and dry. After spending the night, Raudonis assisted the hiking party to the Marcy Dam Outpost. Ranger Jeffery met them and assisted them to the South Meadows trailhead.
TOWN OF NORTH ELBA, WILDERNESS SEARCH
On May 13 at 1:47 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch contacted Forest Ranger Ezumah about a lost hiker near the Street and Nye Mountain trail.
Rangers Ezumah and Rooney met at the trailhead and made verbal contact with the subject one mile down the trail. They found the 47-year-old, of Amherst, next to Indian Pass Brook.
Rangers provided warming layers and escorted the subject back to their vehicle.
Resources were clear at 4:45 p.m.