State Forest Rangers conducted wildfire bucket training in Monroe County, assisted with a fatal water recovery in Wyoming County and responded to wilderness searches in the Adirondacks, according to the latest weekly report from the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The DEC said six Forest Rangers partnered with New York State Police Aviation on June 6 in the town of Greece for wildland fire bucket training. Three Forest Ranger crew chiefs operated inside State Police helicopters while other rangers called in drops on targets.
DEC said the training is meant to prepare pilots and ranger crew chiefs for bucket drops during actual wildfires. The agency said the partnership between Forest Rangers and State Police aviation supports both search-and-rescue and wildland firefighting operations.
In Wyoming County, Forest Rangers responded around 11 p.m. June 19 to a report of an overturned canoe and a missing person in the town of Java. DEC said two people had been in the canoe; one made it to shore, but the other had limited swimming skills and did not.
State Police and Mercy Flight Helicopter conducted nighttime air searches without finding the missing person. The next morning, search crews were joined by State Police and Livingston County dive teams, the Alden and North Java fire departments, and cadaver dogs.
Dive teams recovered the 46-year-old deceased around 6 p.m., according to DEC. The department offered condolences to the person's family.
Forest Rangers also responded to two wilderness searches in Essex County. On June 21, rangers found a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old who had become separated from their hiking group on the Marcy Dam Truck Trail in the town of North Elba. They were located at 10:40 a.m. and reunited with their family at the trailhead.
Later that night in the town of Keene, rangers searched for a 24-year-old hiker reported overdue in the Johns Brook Valley. Rangers found the hiker around 11:05 p.m. and helped them return to the trailhead.
DEC said hikers should properly prepare before entering the backcountry and call 833-NYS-RANGERS for Forest Ranger assistance. Urgent emergencies should be reported to 911.
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