15 College Students had to be Rescued while Rafting in the ADKS

Students rescued by ADK Forest Rangers

While many of us had the day off, State Park Officials were hard at work on Labor Day after being called into service when a rafting trip among college students went awry.

Shout out to the highly skilled New York State Police and Forest Rangers who were dispatched on Labor Day after a group of college-aged students had a rafting incident in the Town of Minerva, about 90 minutes north of Albany.

Stuck upstream

According to sources, there were 15 college students who needed to be rescued on Monday after they got "stuck upstream" while rafting at night on the Hudson Gorge.

A report by the ADK Mountain News states that "New York State Police requested Forest Ranger assistance with the rescue of 15 college students stranded at the confluence of the Boreas and Hudson rivers. The group was rafting Hudson Gorge when they got stuck a short distance upstream from the confluence railroad bridge."

With over 24,000 acres, the Hudson Gorge Wilderness is located in the Adirondack Forest Preserve and the Hudson River runs through the center of it and is known as the Hudson Gorge.

The gorge is rugged and steep, and Forest Rangers were tasked with a rescue late in the evening.  Reports say that the call came in around 10 PM on Monday, and the rescue took about 3 hours.

Rangers use Rail Trail to bring the students to safety

Fast-acting Rangers used the nearby rail trail to help corral the students and get them back to safety.

According to the ADK Mountain News, "Rangers ensured there were no injuries, provided headlamps, and helped walk the group to the tracks where they pedaled back using Revolution Rail Company."

The report didn't state where the students went to school.