On June 19, a canoe overturned in Wyoming County, resulting in one fatality. A 46-year-old drowning victim with limited swimming skills was recovered by dive teams on June 20.

A 24-year-old hiker on Big Slide Mountain in Johns Brook Valley became overdue and was located by Forest Rangers after being reported missing at 9:50 p.m. on June 21. The hiker lacked adequate light and proper layers but was found safe at the Hopkins Trail junction and assisted back to the trailhead.

Two children (ages 9 and 11) were separated from their hiking group on the Marcy Dam Truck Trail in Town of North Elba on June 21. Forest Rangers located them within 40 minutes and reunited them with their family at the trailhead.

DEC press release summarizing 2025 Forest Ranger activities including 362 search and rescue missions, 202 wildfires, and prescribed burns, with a specific incident report of a 0.5-acre wildland fire in Dutchess County controlled on June 5.

DEC Forest Rangers conducted 362 search and rescue missions in 2025 and participated in prescribed fire operations including controlled burns at Albany Pine Bush (29 acres) and Moreau Lake State Park (44 acres) in early June 2026. The post highlights ranger activities including wildfire suppression and law enforcement operations across New York State.

A hiker became exhausted on the Nicks Lake loop trail in the Black River Wild Forest and required rescue assistance. Forest Rangers and first responders transported the 52-year-old to an ambulance at the trailhead.

A canoer's canoe sank on Thirteenth Lake in Warren County on May 28; Forest Ranger Savarie assisted in patching the canoe and helping the stranded paddler back to their vehicle.

An 88-year-old hiker went missing on May 27 at Moreau Lake State Park after departing the Western Ridge trailhead in the morning; Forest Rangers located them in good condition near the East Ridge trail at 12:15 a.m. on May 28.

DEC Forest Rangers conducted a 23-acre prescribed fire at Brookhaven National Laboratory on May 29 as part of a coordinated habitat improvement and fuel reduction effort. The controlled burn is a regulated land management practice designed to prevent invasive species and reduce wildfire risk.

Forest Rangers responded to a report of an overdue hiker in Balsam Lake Wild Forest on May 30; the hiker had separated from their partner and mistakenly climbed Balsam Lake Mountain, but was located safe at Alder Lake lean-to.

A 41-year-old hiker from Brooklyn dislocated their knee after slipping in mud on Table Top Mountain on May 30. Ten Forest Rangers responded and conducted a 2.5-mile litter carry to Marcy Dam Outpost before transporting the victim via UTV to Adirondak Loj.

A 74-year-old from Lowville was found deceased off Adsit Road in the Croghan Tract Conservation Easement on May 29. Rangers responded and coordinated with local emergency services to recover the subject.

DEC Forest Rangers conducted prescribed burns on May 18 and May 21 across three state forest and preserve areas in New York to manage habitat, reduce invasive species, and mitigate wildfire fuel loads.

Two young hikers became lost on Giant Mountain in the evening with inadequate supplies (no food, water, warm layers, or headlamps). Forest Rangers located them at a lean-to and provided assistance, escorting them safely back to their vehicle by 3 a.m.

Three Forest Rangers responded on May 24 to rescue a hiker experiencing muscle cramps and exhaustion on the Beckhorn trail in the Dix Mountain range; the group had been sheltering in place with emergency blankets and some became hypothermic before being assisted to the Elk Lake trailhead.

Two hikers on Dix Mountain became overdue on the evening of May 23; one had an injured ankle. Forest Rangers located both hikers and guided them safely off the mountain, with the injured hiker arriving at the trailhead at 4:45 a.m.

A 28-year-old hiker suffered a lower leg injury at the Kane Mountain fire tower and was rescued by Forest Rangers with emergency responders using a wheeled litter to transport them to the trailhead on May 22.

A wildland fire caused by burning debris piles on County Route 2 in Bombay, Franklin County burned approximately 66 acres before being contained by forest rangers and local fire departments.

Two hikers were lost in Bluestone Wild Forest in Ulster County on May 16. A Forest Ranger made phone contact, instructed them to remain in place, and successfully located and escorted them out with water provided.

On May 13, a 47-year-old lost hiker was found one mile down the Street and Nye Mountain trail near Indian Pass Brook and was safely escorted back by Forest Rangers. On May 15, a 63-year-old angler was injured (left ankle) while wading at Neversink River Unique Area and was rescued by rangers and fire department personnel.

On May 12, Forest Rangers assisted with a 2-acre brush fire in Warrensburg that damaged a structure and was contained by 8:35 p.m.

Two incidents involving DEC Forest Rangers: a water recovery operation for a missing kayaker in the Schroon River (May 10-11) and a wilderness rescue for a hiker injured on Quick Lake trail in Willowemoc Wild Forest (May 12).

Forest Rangers responded to a 0.25-acre brush fire on private property in Corinth caused by improperly disposed stove ashes, which was quickly contained.

On May 21, a 53-year-old climber fell 30 feet from the Arrow Wall at Mohonk Preserve in the Town of Gardiner, Ulster County, suffering spine and pelvis injuries. A rope rescue was required to evacuate the climber from a steep slope above rocky terrain, with the patient ultimately transported to MidHudson Regional Hospital.

A person from Brooklyn became stuck in a crevice 400 feet into Merlin's Cave in Columbia County on May 17. Forest Rangers and National Cave Rescue Commission members worked for six hours to free the subject, who was wedged by the rib cage and pelvis and experiencing early hypothermia.

On May 15, three subjects capsized in a canoe and kayak at Lincoln Pond; two were rescued and treated for hypothermia, while the third subject, a 30-year-old from Syracuse, was recovered deceased.

Forest Rangers and local fire departments responded to and controlled a 2.4-acre brush fire on Lincoln Pond Road in Elizabethtown on April 29. The fire damaged a bus on the property and was caused by illegal burning of garbage.

Forest Rangers and multiple fire departments responded to a brush fire in Cambridge, Washington County on April 29, containing it to 0.8 acre. One shed and four vehicles were damaged; charges for illegal debris burning were filed.

A 46-year-old who had been missing for two days was located deceased in a creek in Tioga County on April 30, following a multi-agency search effort involving state police, forest rangers, and environmental conservation officers.

Forest Rangers responded to a brush fire in Queensbury, Warren County on April 28 that damaged structures including a child's playhouse. The fire was contained to 0.5 acres by multiple fire departments, and a ticket was issued for leaving a fire unattended.

An 11-year-old hiker on the Escarpment Trail became lethargic due to dehydration on May 10 and required rescue assistance to reach the trailhead.

Two hikers became lost off-trail in the area between the Brothers and Phelps trails/Cold Brook Pass on May 9 after a dropped 911 call. They were located by Lake Colden Caretaker and assisted to shelter, then escorted out via Marcy Dam Outpost to the South Meadows trailhead.

A 3-year-old child and family dog went missing from a residential area in Allegany County on May 8. Forest Rangers and emergency responders coordinated a search, and the child was found 1.4 miles away in a field after about two hours.

On April 26, DEC Forest Rangers and local firefighters responded to and contained five wildland fires in Johnsburg sparked by material from a faulty catalytic converter; one shed was destroyed but no other structures were threatened.

Forest Rangers assisted local fire departments in containing an 11-acre wildland fire in McDonough State Forest on April 24. The fire, caused by a downed power line, was brought under control within approximately 2.5 hours.

A wildland fire burned approximately 11 acres near Marmon Road in the Town of Lyonsdale, Lewis County on April 24, 2026. Forest Rangers and multiple fire departments responded and controlled the fire by 9:45 p.m.

Forest Ranger Laymon responded to a wildland fire along County Highway 40 in Worcester, Otsego County on April 23. Fire departments contained the fire to three acres, with the landowner facing charges for conducting an unauthorized prescribed burn.

DEC Forest Ranger conducted Earth Day public outreach on wildfire dangers and spring fire risk. Residential brush burning is prohibited statewide from March 16 through May 14.

DEC Forest Rangers conducted multiple prescribed fire operations across New York State from April 20–27, totaling over 580 acres across wildlife management areas and state forests to reduce invasive species and wildfire risk.

A hiker on Wittenberg Mountain had an allergic reaction to tree nuts in their trail mix on April 27, developing hives and swollen lips. Forest Rangers responded and escorted the hiker to the trailhead where EMS evaluated them; symptoms had subsided and further treatment was refused.

DEC Forest Rangers responded to a 0.5-acre wildland fire on Windfall Road in Wells, Hamilton County on April 26. Fire crews contained the fire and issued a citation related to the burn ban.

Forest Rangers responded to a 2-acre wildland fire in Dunham Bay Marsh on April 23, bringing it under control by 8:30 p.m. The cause is under investigation.

Two Forest Rangers rescued a subject and their dog from Watch Island on April 18 after they capsized in cold water while canoeing and were stranded.

A 36-year-old hiker collapsed at the top of Bald Mountain fire tower on April 18. Forest Rangers responded and administered Narcan due to suspected drug use; the hiker was evacuated via rope systems and recovered.

Forest Rangers conducted a limited search on April 18 for Tom Messick, a hunter missing since 2015, in the Town of Horicon Warren County Wilderness. The search involved three rangers and 19 LASAR volunteers and served as a training exercise for search and rescue skills.

DEC Forest Ranger and Albany Pine Bush staff conducted a controlled prescribed burn of 11.5 acres on April 18 as part of land management and habitat improvement.

Two hikers reported concerns about potential frostbite after wetting their feet while crossing a creek on Mount Marcy. Forest Rangers assessed the teenagers and found only muscle soreness, no frostbite; both were able to walk out with ranger escort.

Two hikers became overdue on the Santanoni Range on April 19 and were located by Forest Rangers in cold, wet conditions. Rangers rewarmed the subjects and assisted them back to the trailhead.

Two hikers (ages 61 and 28) became stranded on the Lillian Brook trail while attempting Macomb, South Dix, Grace, and Hough mountains on April 18. They underestimated snowy conditions and daylight and lacked headlamps; Forest Rangers located and escorted them out.

Two teenage hikers became lost off-trail in Moose River Plains Wild Forest on April 18. Forest Rangers located them in good health and escorted them to the trailhead.