Karoga Town
fulton county
Illegal use of excavators: On Dec. 7, Environmental Conservation Police (ECO) Manns alerted rangers to an unauthorized vehicle in the Shaker Mountain Wild Forest in Pine Lake. Upon investigation, Rangers Geyer and Nally discovered excavator tracks bypassing a closed gate at the Pine Lake Boat Launch. The Rangers located a 50-year-old operator from St. Johnsville and issued a ticket for operating a motor vehicle on state land.
Excavator tracks in Pine Lake. December photo.
port forest town
oneida county
Wilderness Restoration: On December 9 at 3:19 pm, Environmental Conservation Police (ECO) Tabor notified Ray Brook Dispatch that Oneida County was requesting ranger assistance in locating the missing person. The 55-year-old’s ATV was found overturned in a stream, but the victim has yet to be located. New York State Police led the search, along with underwater rescue teams and drone operators. Rangers Lt. Hoag and Rangers Murphy and Piersma responded with ECO Noyes and Tabor and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department. After a full day of searching, rescuers continued the next day. At 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 10, a state police drone operator located the deceased about a half mile downstream from where the ATV was discovered.
city of hope
hamilton county
Motor Vehicle Accident Rescue: On December 10 at 8:30 am, Rangers Geyer and Nally responded to a motor vehicle accident on Hope Falls Road. The car slid off the embankment with four people inside. Rangers helped New York State Police free a five-year-old stuck in a car, stabilizing his head until a neck brace was put on and the patient was placed on a backboard. At 10:30 am, all four subjects were transferred to EMS
Rescue on Hope Falls Road. December photo.
Indian Lakes
hamilton county
Flat ice training: On December 12th, Rangers Miller, Nally and Scott conducted flat ice rescue training for Rangers Caswell, Hamm, Geyer and Syne. The training focuses on how to respond and deal with an accident when a person falls into the ice. Rangers spent hours demonstrating and practicing rescue skills, including throwing bags, reaching for poles and “going off” rescue techniques to free people from the ice.
Flat ice rescue training. December photo.
Flat ice rescue training. December photo.
Flat ice rescue training. December photo.
Make sure you do proper preparation and planning before heading into the backcountry. Visit DEC’s Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information and Catskill Backcountry Information web pages for more information.
Anyone in need of a ranger, whether for search and rescue, to report a wildfire, or to report illegal activity on state lands and easements, should call 833-NYS-RANGERS. If someone needs emergency help, they can call 911. To contact a ranger for location-specific information, the DEC website has each ranger’s phone number listed by region.
