The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation showcased the heroic wilderness rescue of a courageous 70-year-old man in their latest edition of “DEC Forest Rangers – Week in Review.” This weekly report sheds light on the remarkable actions taken by Statewide Forest Rangers.
On Friday, September 6th, at 1:40 p.m., Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Hamilton County 911 regarding an “SOS beacon” that had been activated on the Northville Placid Trail in the Blue Ridge Wilderness.
Fortunately, the 70-year-old man had a member in his hiking group who was trained as a wilderness first responder. This individual provided assistance to the injured man until professional first responders arrived on the scene. They recognized that the man had sustained head and potential spinal cord injuries.
Forest Rangers Milano and Snye arrived at the scene at around 2:30 p.m., where they found the man in need of assistance. Within a short period, five more rangers joined them, bringing the total number to seven. Together, they utilized a backpack litter to transport the individual over a distance of 1.5 miles to Indian Lake EMS. From there, a LifeNet helicopter was called in to swiftly transport the patient to the hospital for further medical attention.
There is currently no information available regarding the condition of the 70-year-old.
