Regional Forest Ranger Highlights from February 10 to February 23, 2020
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 the backcountry.
Town of Clifton
St. Lawrence County
Wilderness Rescue: On Feb. 15 at 10:02 a.m., St. Lawrence County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a snowmobile accident on the Grass River Easement in the town of Clifton. Forest Rangers Will Benzel, Peter Morehouse, and Nathan Shea responded to the location to assist Cranberry Lake Fire and Rescue. A 26-year-old male snowmobiler from Pennsylvania sustained significant injuries after being ejected from his snowmobile after hitting a tree. At 12:15 p.m., the man was flown by Life Flight to a nearby hospital and all personnel were cleared of the scene.
Town of Wilmington
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Feb. 21 at 3:49 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a request to assist a 56-year-old male and an 18-year-old male from Boston, Massachusetts, who became disoriented after out-of-bounds skiing at Whiteface Mountain. Forest Rangers Kevin Burns and Rob Praczkajlo arrived on scene at 4:09 p.m. and began interviewing the missing men’s family members. The family assisted the Forest Rangers with a Snap Chat program, which helped to locate the lost skiers. Rangers then requested the men call 911 to ping their cellphone for an exact location. Based on coordinates provided by Essex County 911, a map of their location was generated and Forest Rangers directed the subjects to walk to a designated location. The skiers exited the woods at 5:16 p.m., and were met by Rangers. The two men were transported to Whiteface Mountain Medical Services. The pair signed off on medical attention, and the incident concluded at 5:45 p.m.
Town of Bolton
Warren County
Wilderness Rescue: On Feb. 23 at 7:53 p.m., Warren County 911 transferred a call to DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch from two hikers on the Northwest Bay Trail. The hikers started their hike that morning and one of them, a 36-year-old male from Selden, was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. Coordinates obtained through 911 placed the hikers about four miles from the Clay Meadows Trail. Forest Ranger Evan Donegan responded, along with the Bolton Landing Fire Department and their airboat. At 8:31 p.m., the responders were on Lake George and heading to the hikers’ last known location. They were located at 9:23 p.m., returned to shore, and hiked back out to the trailhead.
Posted: February 26th, 2020 under Adirondack Region News, Environmental News, Law Enforcement News.