The Peru Gazette

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.

During the first nine months of 2026, Forest Rangers conducted 277 search and rescue missions, extinguished 93 wildfires covering more than 224 acres, and participated in 54 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate 1,355 acres of land. In 2025, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 362 search and rescue missions, extinguished 202 wildfires covering 840 acres, participated in 68 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate 1,649 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in more than 1,100 tickets and arrests. Also in 2025, 41 Forest Rangers were deployed to fire assignments in 10 different states.

Town of Harrieststown
Franklin County
Wilderness Rescue: On October 7 at 11:32 a.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker on Ampersand Mountain assisting another hiker suffering from extreme abdominal pain. Forest Ranger Bowler and Saranac Lake Rescue Squad made contact with the 27-year-old from Nebraska approximately one mile from the trailhead. They treated the patient until Rangers Adams, Jeffery, and Lewis arrived with ATVs to transport the subject to the trailhead to an awaiting ambulance. The incident was clear at 1:48 p.m.

Ampersand rescue

Hamlet of Keene Valley
Essex County
Training: On October 8, five Forest Ranger instructors worked with 22 Rangers on technical rope rescue training. Rangers scaled the Beer Walls in the Chapel Pond area.

Rope training

Rope training

Town of Ticonderoga
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On October 8 at 3:50 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call about an overdue hiker off trail near the Putnam Pond Campground in the Pharoah Lake Wilderness. At 6:20 p.m., Rangers Jeffery and Odell reached the subject, provided warm clothes, and rehydrated them. Rangers Martin and Quinn used ATVs to assist the 76-year-old from Troy out of the woods. The incident was clear at 10:15 p.m.

Town of Harrietstown
Franklin County
Wildland Fire: On October 8 at 4:43 p.m., Forest Rangers McMahon and Sabo responded to a fire at Rock Pond. By 8:30 p.m., Rangers contained the fire. The fire started as a campfire and was left unattended.

Campers should never leave a fire unattended. When putting out a fire, drown it with water and make sure all embers and coals are wet, and then stir the water around to make sure the ground is wet as well. More campfire safety tips are available on the DEC website.

Town of North Elba

Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On October 9 at 8:30 a.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call about a hiker with a lower leg injury on Cascade Mountain. Forest Rangers Ezumah and Foutch splinted the 55-year-old’s leg and carried them down to the trailhead. At 9:50 a.m., Rangers turned over care to Lake Placid EMS.

Town of Harrietstown
Franklin County
Wilderness Search: On October 10 at 12:39 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a hiker’s family member reporting a hiking group lost on Seward Mountain. The hiker sent a satellite text to the family member asking them to call Forest Rangers for help. Unbeknownst to the family, the hiker also sent satellite messages directly to the Rangers. Rangers Jeffery and Lewis conducted a ground search and Ranger Martin searched from the air with New York State Police Aviation. At 3:44 p.m., Rangers Jeffery and Lewis located the hikers from Staten Island packing up camp near Ward Brook. They were not lost. It turns out, the previous day, Ranger Lewis fielded two satellite messages from the same hiker and both times, Ranger Lewis guided them back onto the trail. It is likely that the satellite message to the family member was delayed in sending until they had better cell service.

Town of Wilmington
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On October 10 at 9:33 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from three hikers without a light source on Marble Mountain. Forest Rangers Jeffery and Lewis located the two 20-year-olds and 14-year-old. They were relying on their cell phone for light, but that quickly drains the phone’s battery. Rangers provided headlamps and assisted the group out of the woods. The incident was clear at 10:42 p.m.

Rangers suggest bringing more than one headlamp and extra batteries along with the rest of the 10 hiking essentials.

Town of Wilmington
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On October 11 at 7:16 p.m., a hiker called 911, said their phone was about to die, and then lost connection. Coordinates placed the caller on the Flume Trail in Wilmington Wild Forest. Forest Rangers Bode and Lewis located the two hikers in the dark, without a light source. The two 18-year-olds made a wrong turn after hiking Whiteface Mountain. Rangers assisted them to the trailhead and the incident was clear at 8:23 p.m.

Town of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On October 12 at 10:40 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call for a 77-year-old with a possible broken leg on Big Slide Mountain. Ten Forest Rangers responded via Johns Brook Lodge. At 7 a.m., Rangers treated the hiker and made it to within 1.5 miles of the lodge. Rangers cleared downed trees and branches on the trail and continued carrying the subject. At 11:40 a.m., they reached the trailhead. The hiker said they would seek further medical treatment on their own. Video of Rangers carrying the subject using backpack carriers through rough terrain and heavy rain is available to download.

Big Slide rescue

Big Slide rescue

Town of Dickinson
Franklin County
Wilderness Search: On October 15 at 10:03 p.m., New York State Police (NYSP) requested Forest Ranger assistance in the search for an overdue hunter in Deer Run State Forest. Seven Rangers and a NYSP drone team responded. At 2 a.m., Ranger Corey located the hunter in good health and assisted them back to their nearby residence.

Town of Red House
Cattaraugus County
Wilderness Search: On October 16 at 12:14 a.m., New York State Police (NYSP) requested Forest Ranger assistance in the search for an overdue hunter in Allegany State Park. Nine Rangers, New York State Park Police, Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue, the Chautauqua County Search Team, and NYSP drone and canine teams searched through the night. At 9:54 a.m., New York State Park Police conducting a linear search along a trail located the hunter in good health. The hunter did not have a cell phone or a light. When it started raining that night, the hunter sat down under a tree for shelter until the rain stopped in the morning.

Town of Keene
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On October 17 at 9:30 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Essex County 911 about two hikers without lights on Second Brother Mountain. Forest Rangers Curcio and Foutch responded to the coordinates and located the hikers at 1 a.m. Rangers provided headlamps and escorted them back to the trailhead.

Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC’s “Hike Smart NY,” “Adirondack Backcountry,” 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, 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.