Post by walkswithblackflies on Mar 23, 2016 10:28:04 GMT -8
Excerpts:
The three rangers began hiking off the mountain. They were to be met by forest rangers coming in from Corey's Road on ATVs and armed with chain saws to clear a path through blown down trees.
Using GPS and mapping, the rangers took the most direct route out heading west through heavy vegetation and small trees toward the Duck Hole area. They used a small stream that was only four or five feet wide to lead them to the pond.
About two miles into the hike, Russell crossed an area of the stream bed where ice had formed over a pool. The ice slowly broke. The almost 6-foot-tall ranger with the heavy pack and snowshoes plunged into the icy water.
VanLaer was about 20 feet away when he heard Russell go down. The stream didn't look deep.
"I said 'Stand up'," vanLaer said.
"I can't touch," replied Russell, clinging to the ice shelf.
The rangers' training kicked in. They performed a "flat ice rescue." It was a combination of a self-rescue by Russell with vanLaer, standing on the stable stream bank, grabbing the straps of Russell's backpack. Leaning backward, he hauled Russell out of the water.
The rangers hiked about 100 feet further downstream to a flatter area. Russell stripped off his wet clothes and put on the dry ones he carried in his pack. He had base layers, pants, shirt, a coat. Fully dressed, the only wet items were his boots, Russell said.
"We all carry that equipment with us when doing a rescue and in doing patrols," he said. "I was prepared if the unexpected happened I was going to be able to escape."
As the senior officer among the three, vanLaer got on the radio to call for help.
Forest Ranger Capt. John Streiff, was at Adirondack Regional Airport at Lake Clear when he heard vanLaer's calls that made it through.
"I could sense the urgency in his voice over the radio," he said.
One of the state police helicopters had just fueled up and was heading back to Albany. Streiff called it back. Both pilots got off for a briefing, and then with a ranger and night vision equipment, the helicopter headed to Duck Hole.
Russell, vanLaer and Edmunds hiked 40 minutes to Duck Hole to meet their ride. The helicopter was waiting for them when they arrived. The three got on and by 9 p.m. they were headed back.
Russell warmed up at the DEC headquarters in Ray Brook. He said he had no lasting ill effects from the experience and went back to work.
FULL STORY: www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/training_kicks_in_for_adirondack_ranger_rescue.html
