We see this happen all the time, hikers becoming disoriented while out on trails in the Hudson Valley. This can be very dangerous, and one 70-year-old hiker needed to be rescued in Ulster County after losing his way.

Forest Rangers are keeping themselves busy with all the wilderness rescuing that constantly needs to be made here in the Hudson Valley and across New York State. I appreciate all the hard work they do, and we should all be thankful for them because they never hesitate to jump into action when someone is lost or injured on one of the beautiful natural lands.

On June 29, one Forest Ranger overheard a 911 call regarding a missing 70-year-old man at Vernooy Kill Falls. When the ranger arrived at the scene, Sheriff's Deputies were on the scene along with fire department personnel and EMS. The hiker had been dropped off by his wife at approximately 9:00AM. When the subject had not returned by 1:00PM, the caller became concerned and flagged down a passing motorist to call 911.

A command post was set up at the trailhead, and the rangers headed out to search for the missing hiker.  Rangers located the missing man from Harpursville, NY and transported him back to the trailhead by ATV where EMS evaluated and released him. The hiker became disoriented when he attempted to return from the falls and ended up 2.5 miles from the falls when search crews reached him.

It's very easy to become disoriented while out on the trails. I always have my GPS turned on and have an extra battery pack with me in case something like this happens. Granted, I may not have a signal, but at least I'm prepared.

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