DEC rangers likely saved the life of a lost elderly man who injured himself and was unable to move while hiking a popular trail in the Hudson Valley.

On Sunday around 9:38 p.m., New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Central Dispatch received information from a caller stating that his neighbor had not returned from a hike.

The missing neighbor, a 78-year-old male, planned to hike near Balsam Mountain, however his exact route and destination was unknown, officials say.

Rangers were sent to check the parking areas and trail at Balsam Mountain in hopes of finding any evidence of the man's whereabouts.

Around 11 p.m., the man's car was found by rangers at the Rider Hollow Trail Head, Big Indian-Beaverkill Range Wilderness Area.

As rangers searched the area, the man was soon found, unable to move due to a leg injury he sustained while hiking, officials say.

Rangers and local fire and EMS responders assessed the injury and packaged the hiker for a carry-out. He was transferred by ambulance to a local hospital for further medical treatment.

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