Elderly Hiker With Suspected Fractured Pelvis in the Catskills Hoisted by Helicopter

New York State DEC officials say they were recently notified that an elderly hiker, who was no longer able to walk, to was in dire need of help. The injured hiker was climbing a trail at Overlook Mountain, which is a peak in the Catskills Mountains with an elevation of over three thousand feet.

All Trails describes the area as a "steady incline to the summit with views worth the trek",  and is popular amongst hikers for the Overlook Mountain House ruins.

The hiker was reported to have been visiting from out of the country, and may not have been completely familiar with the trail or the area they were in at the time.

Injured Hiker Rescued by New York State DEC in the Catskills

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said in a press release that Ulster County 911 requested assistance for an injured hiker on Overlook Mountain in the area of Echo Lake the afternoon of October 12.

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The DEC said they contacted the the hiker’s daughter and learned the 78-year-old from France was unable to walk or even sit up. Rangers joined Woodstock Fire and a Woodstock Paramedic and found the subject at 4 p.m. The paramedic suspected the injured elderly hiker had a fractured pelvis.

Rangers, Fire Department personnel, and additional agencies located and carried the patient to a site 300 feet uphill that would work as a hoist location. By 5:15 p.m., the DEC said that Rangers successfully hoisted the man into the helicopter, and he was flown to the hospital.

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