VIDEO: Watch Daring Helicopter Rescue of New York Hiker
Rangers with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recently put their training to the test. Now, thanks to efforts by the NYS DEC as well as the the New York State Police aviation division, a hiker in the Hudson Valley is recovering after a serious injury.
NYS DEC rangers train for many different emergency situations, including the extraction of injured hikers. While helicopter rescues are often a last resort (check out the wild way some patients are carried down mountainsides here), extensive training means that most likely, the only person who's nervous is the subject on the end of the rope.
Helicopter Rescue of Hiker in the Hudson Valley
The recent operation took place on a hiking trail between Indian Head Mountain and Twin Mountain in Greene County. The hiker, who reportedly suffered an ankle injury, was unable to walk. Rangers determined the safest path forward involved a hoist rescue.
Video of NYS DEC Helicopter Rescue
For any Hudson Valley resident wondering what a helicopter rescue looks like from the point of view of the waiting rangers, the NYS DEC released a video of the operation. Footage begins when the subject begins their hoist, and cuts off right before rangers bring the hiker into the helicopter (below).
Bear Cub Rescued by NYS DEC
In the most recent example of the wide range of responsibilities of the NYS DEC, rangers who weren't busy hoisting injured hikers into helicopters were releasing a bear cub, who had been illegally kept as a pet, back into the wild (below). Details of the story, including the poor conditions in which the helpless bear was held, can be found here.
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Not all hikes in the Hudson Valley involve steep slopes and potential danger. Check out a different type of hike with unique views below.
Abandoned Warner Bros. Zoo Discovered by Hikers
Gallery Credit: Boris
