HANCOCK – On Oct. 4 at 7:50 p.m., Delaware County requested the Forest Ranger's assistance in locating a missing 90-year-old with early signs of dementia. The subject was last seen at 3 p.m
The rangers joined search parties from the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, the Delaware County Tech Team, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the Cooks Falls, Downsville, East Branch, Hancock, Roscoe Rockland and Trout Creek fire departments.
At 9 a.m. a search party found the subject in a ravine off Dry Brook Ridge Road. The subject was conscious and alert but dehydrated.
As of July 1, in 2025, Rangers have conducted 139 search and rescue missions, extinguished 82 wildfires covering nearly 705 acres and participated in 56 prescribed fires, rejuvenating 1,514 acres of land to date. In 2024, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 362 search and rescue missions, extinguished 122 wildfires covering nearly 6,500 acres, participated in 60 prescribed fires that revitalized more than 1,155 acres of land, and worked cases that resulted in more than 1,200 tickets and arrests.
Make sure you properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. For more information, visit the DEC websites Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information and Catskill Backcountry Information.
If someone needs a Forest Ranger, whether for a search and rescue operation, to report a forest fire, or to report illegal activity on federal lands and easements, they should call 833-NYS-RANGERS. If a person needs urgent help, they can call 911. To contact a Forest Ranger for information about a specific location, phone numbers for each ranger listed by region can be found on the DEC website: http://on.ny.gov/NYSForestRangerRoster
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