New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents in the Adirondacks. 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 the Adirondack backcountry.

What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers in the Adirondacks.

Essex County

Town of North Elba

Rescue: At 6:41 pm on November 8, DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a phone call from the family of a stranded hiker on Mount Marcy. Dressed in cotton and inappropriate footwear, the unprepared hiker found himself in inhospitable conditions. The caller’s coordinates placed him just under one-half mile below the summit. The 22-year-old male hiker was contacted via cell phone and placed in contact with Forest Rangers. The hiker stated that he had removed his socks and shoes in order to warm his feet. Rangers instructed the hiker to redress and start hiking, quickly and safely, down the trail back toward Marcy Dam. Rangers entered the woods moving toward the hiker’s location. At 9:40 pm, the hiker relayed through his family that he was running out of light on his phone, which was his only light source, and felt lost. At 10:22 pm, Rangers located the subject and assisted him to his vehicle parked near Adirondak Loj. The incident concluded at 12:30 am.

Be Prepared: Properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hiking Safety webpage and Adirondack Trail Information webpage for more information about where you intend to travel. The Adirondack Almanack reports weekly Outdoor Conditions each Thursday afternoon.