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

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's website, Forest Rangers conducted 426 search and rescue missions across the state in 2021 alone.

A 63-year-old man from North Carolina had to be rescued early Wednesday afternoon, 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.

Man Rescued Near Summit 

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.

Mount Marcy (elevation 5,344 feet)

Mount Marcy is the highest peak in all of New York state at 5,344 feet. The mountain is located in the Adirondack High Peaks in Essex County, near the town of Keane, NY. Lake Tear of the Clouds is often cited as the highest source of the Hudson River. The peak was named after former New York Governor William L. Marcy.

Many trails are rough to travel and can be quite steep and challenging. Snow covers the mountain from October until as late as May. Some even say its weather can be almost as windy and severe as Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

The Area's Historical Significance 

Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was hiking Mount Marcy in 1901 when he learned that President William McKinley's health was deteriorating, after being shot a week earlier. He would later take a stagecoach to North Creek, where there was a train station. At some point on the way, he learned that the President had died. Quite the historical moment.

If you travel to Mount Marcy, you're going to want to know what you're doing and come prepared. Follow the trails and instructions, and dress accordingly. Also, be mindful of many of the rangers and nature wardens in the area, who are there to protect the landscape and vegetation. Years of human intervention have caused much damage to parts of the ecosystem of the mountain.