New York DEC Rescues Hikers Crossing Swollen Stream [VIDEO]

As the snow continues to melt from the mountains, many waterways can swell quickly, catching hikers off guard. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is especially active around this time of year, aiding people who are in need. Sometimes people underestimate nature.

The DEC says that everything from mud to changing weather, to inaccessible roads create potentially dangerous obstacles for outdoor excursions in the spring.

2022 Stats

DEC Forest Rangers conducted 359 search and rescue missions, extinguished 162 wildfires covering more than 1,300 acres, participated in 53 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate nearly 900 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in hundreds of tickets and arrests last year, according to their website. 

See Also: Missing Hudson Valley Hiker Stranded Overnight On Cliff Saved

New York Forest Rangers Conduct Water Rescue 

The DEC shared on their Facebook page video fo a rescue that happened April 1 at around 7:30 PM. The DEC says that four hikers got stuck trying to cross the chest-high water of Indian Pass Brook on their way back to Adirondak Loj.

When the group couldn't pass through, they called for help.

Forest Rangers advised the group to build a fire to stay warm, as the daytime temperatures had fallen dramatically by dusk. The DEC says that Rangers used an inflatable kayak and ropes to pull the party one-by-one across the water to safety.

Get our free mobile app

By 1:10 AM, Rangers said they arrived to the destination with all four hikers safe.

Rescuers Assist Injured Man on Top of New York State's Highest Peak

A 63-year-old man from North Carolina had to be rescued back in October, after hitting his knee on a rock and possibly tearing a ligament on the state's highest peak. Because of the high elevation, New York State Police Aviation division was called in to help with the rescue.

The DEC shared on their Facebook page that the hiker had inured himself, while hiking with his wife, around a mile from the summit of Mount Marcy on October 12. Rangers were able to splint the injured man's leg and walk him to a safe location to hoist by helicopter.

The DEC says that NYSP Aviation flew the patient to Adirondack Medical Center, while one of the Rangers hiked out to Marcy Dam with the man's wife.