New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers conducted a Search and Rescue mission in the Town of Inlet on September 28.
At 5:15 p.m., the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office per State Police Communi-cations Section in Albany, contacted DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook requesting assistance for a lost hiking party at Queer Lake in the Town of Inlet.
DEC Dispatch in Ray Brook established phone and text contact with Ms. Rose Morton, 53, of New Hartford, who said she was lost with a party of four adults and a minor.
Ms. Morton said the group was at the lean-to at Queer Lake but were unable to get back to their vehicle.
A DEC Forest Ranger was dispatched and entered the woods at 6:09 p.m. for the 3.5-mile hike to the Queer Lake lean-to.
Ms. Morton was told at 7 p.m. via text that a Forest Ranger would be at their location soon.
The Forest Ranger located the party at 7:30 p.m.
The Ranger escorted them to their vehicle at 9:15 p.m.
DEC Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide.
Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people from the backcountry.
“DEC Forest Rangers’ knowledge of first aid, land navigation and technical rescue techniques are often critical to the success of their missions,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens.
“Search and rescue missions often require Rangers to function in remote wilderness areas from rugged mountainous peaks to white-water rivers, and through vast forest areas from spruce-fir thicket to open hardwoods,” he said.
