From Lost to Found: A Night in the Woods Ends in Rescue for This Capital Region Man

Capital Region man spends the night in the woods after losing his way along the trail. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officers searched into the early morning hours before locating the individual.

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, they can call 911. 

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On Saturday September 20th at 11:30pm, Forest Rangers Odell and Rooney responded to a call from Ray Brook Dispatch for an overdue hiker on Big Slide Mountain in Essex County. Last contact with the hiker was six hours earlier.

A 38-year-old hiker from Clifton Park stated they had wandered off the trail, in Keene, New York, on the evening of the 20th. At 4:40am on Sunday September 21st Rangers cleared the summit without any signs of the subject.

At 7:15am, Rangers found the hiker in good health approximately half a mile from the trailhead. The hiker spent the night far enough off trail that they didn’t hear Rangers calling. But early in the morning, the hiker saw headlamps and continued towards the trailhead.

A second successful wilderness search was conducted in Essex County on Sunday September 21st. At 2:35am four subjects were complaining of hypothermia. Two subjects finished their hike, but the other two members of their party had not returned yet, and they had the keys to the car. By 4:30am all 4 reached the trailhead.