DEC Forest Ranger Highlights
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 Italy
Yates County
Wilderness Rescue: On Mar. 20 at 4:20 p.m., Forest Ranger Dormer was dispatched to a rescue in the High Tor Wildlife Management Area. A 20-year-old individual from Geneseo was hiking with friends and fell into the Parrish Gully. Ranger Dormer responded, along with DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officer Levanway and DEC Bureau of Environmental Crimes Investigation (BECI) Lt. Didion. Once on scene, the Naples Fire Department and the Ontario County Ropes Rescue Team quickly located the subject and hoisted him out to a waiting UTV. The subject was brought to a roadside ambulance but refused transport to a local hospital, and instead sought additional treatment on his own.
Town of Hunter
Greene County
Wilderness Recovery: On Mar. 14 at 1:30 p.m., DEC’s Central Dispatch received a request for Forest Ranger assistance from Greene County 911 for a report of an unresponsive hiker on the Becker Hollow trail near the summit of Hunter Mountain. Forest Rangers from Regions 3 and 4 responded to assist. Two Rangers hiked to the location of the 62-year-old man, who was deceased. Additional Rangers on the scene used snowmobiles to access the summit of the mountain using the state truck trail from the Spruceton trailhead. The Rangers then hiked one half mile in to bring rescue gear and equipment to the rescuers. Due to steep and icy trail conditions, Rangers utilized rope systems and a stretcher (sked) on the technical descent down the Becker Hollow trail. Rescuers were back at the Becker Hollow trailhead at 11 p.m., and the subject was turned over to the Greene County coroner. Rangers were clear of the scene at 11:30 p.m. Additional agencies involved include DEC’s Division of Law Enforcement and New York State Police.
Town of North Elba
Essex County
Wilderness Rescue: On Mar. 13 at 6:41 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a 27-year-old subject from Rochester suffering from a sore knee while hiking to Mount Marcy in the High Peaks Wilderness. The hiker did not have a head lamp or flashlight and reported that his four friends hiked out ahead of him. Just before 10 p.m., At Marcy Dam, Forest Ranger Sabo made contact with the hiker and two friends who had turned back to help him. Ranger Sabo and the hikers arrived back at the Loj parking lot at 11:16 p.m., and reunited the hikers with their group.
Town of Hillsdale
Columbia County
Wildland Fire: On Mar. 12 at 10:30 p.m., DEC’s Central Dispatch received a request from Columbia County 911 for Forest Ranger support for a wildfire in the town of Hillsdale. Forest Ranger Gullen responded. The brush fire was approximately eight acres and fire crews were able to contain it by constructing a fire line with water support. Due to heavy winds, hot spots flared up on the hilltop, extending mop up operations. On Mar. 13 at 12:30 a.m., the fire was declared out and firefighters were clear of the scene.
Region 3 Forest Rangers also responded to three small wildfires recently in Sullivan, Westchester, and Putnam counties. The largest was about five acres in size.
In an effort to reduce the number of spring brush fires, New York State’s residential brush burning ban is in effect starting today, Mar. 16, through May 14. For more information, go to: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/58519.html
Town of Lake George
Warren County
Ice Rescue: On Feb. 25 at 4 p.m., Forest Ranger Donegan was notified of a snowmobile accident on Lake George with the snowmobiler still in the water. Ranger Donegan responded to the scene adjacent to a local marina while Forest Rangers Kabrehl, Perryman, and Lt. Kallen responded to a launch site with Airboat 54. Ranger Donegan donned a cold-water rescue suit, went into the water to look for the man, but could not immediately find him. A diver with the North Queensbury Fire Department then located the 35-year-old man from the Bronx, and together with Ranger Donegan and members of the Bay Ridge and Lake George fire departments, removed him from the water. Ranger Donegan and a Sheriff’s Deputy immediately began life-saving measures. The individual was turned over to the local EMS and transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Rangers stayed on scene with the airboat to assist the Warren County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.
Town of Shandaken
Ulster County
Wilderness Rescue: On Feb. 27 at 12:15 p.m., Forest Ranger Slade heard a 911 report of an injured hiker on the Menla Resort property. According to the report, a hiker was attempting a two-mile loop on the resort’s blue trail, which is steep and had not been broken in by other hikers. Approximately one mile into the loop, the hiker fell 20 feet down an embankment and dislocated her left shoulder. A member of her party hiked down to the resort and placed the call for help. Ranger Slade responded, and due to the heavy snowpack, requested additional Rangers to assist. At 2:15 p.m., rescuers arrived at the hiker’s location. The 52-year-old woman from New York City was experiencing pain from her injured, left shoulder and was mildly hypothermic. Once warmed up, rescuers provided first aid for the subject’s injury by placing her left arm into a sling and securing it to her torso. The hiker was assisted back up to the trail and began the slow walk out on her own power while rescuers assisted breaking in the trail ahead. The hiker made it off the trail at 5:15 p.m., was treated by Shandaken Paramedics, and transported to a local hospital for further medical treatment.
Hamilton County
Multiagency Snowmobile Training: Forest Rangers from Region 5, Zone D hosted a multi-day training with members of the106th Rescue Wing Unit of the New York Air National Guard stationed at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach. During the exercise, Rangers demonstrated snowmobile operations and trained with the visiting Pararescue specialists in basic snowmobile maintenance and trail and towing procedures, as well as back country/deep snow operations.
Town of Pharsalia
Chenango County
Wilderness Rescue: On Feb. 20 at 9:15 p.m., Forest Ranger Oldroyd was contacted by Chenango County 911 about a truck that went off the Civilian Conservation Corps truck trail in the Pharsalia Woods State Forest. The truck trail is part of a snowmobile trail system in the forest. The vehicle’s occupants attempted to rescue themselves by using a winch cable to get the truck back on the road but in doing so created an unsafe trail condition. Once the subjects realized this, they requested assistance. Forest Rangers Oldroyd and Oldroyd responded to their location with snowmobiles and brought the occupants out of the woods. Rangers treated the occupants from Marathon and Cincinnatus, NY, for mild hypothermia, placing them in a Sheriff’s vehicle. Once warmed up, the subjects were released and all units were cleared of the scene by 12:05 a.m. Truck off trail in Pharsalia Woods State Forest (photo below) New York State DEC staff continue to serve in leadership roles at COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites across the state. For information about efforts to vaccinate New Yorkers and to check eligibility for vaccinations, go to: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ 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.
