RAY BROOK, N.Y. — Forest rangers rescued a 58-year-old hiker from Mechanicville after the person went missing for about 18 hours in the snow-covered Dix Range of the Adirondacks, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
At 8:45 p.m. on Feb. 25, DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a woman reporting her spouse overdue from a planned two-day solo hike. The hiker had started the trip the previous day. The last contact came at 7:15 a.m. Feb. 25, when the hiker was about six miles from the intended endpoint and reported feeling tired and moving slowly.
At 9:50 p.m., forest rangers located the hiker’s vehicle at the Elk Lake trailhead. Seven rangers searched through the night but did not find the missing hiker.
Search efforts expanded the next day, Feb. 26, with more than 20 rangers involved. New York State Police Aviation transported rangers to higher elevations and conducted aerial searches over the rugged terrain.
At 2:55 p.m., a ranger search crew located the hiker off the Lillian Brook Trail. The hiker showed signs of mild hypothermia and frostbite, the DEC said.
At 4:20 p.m., Ranger R. Praczkajlo hoisted the hiker into a state police helicopter. Pilot Engel flew the hiker to Lake Placid Airport, where Lake Placid Emergency Medical Services were standing by.
