Woman’s body found; teen saved from hypothermia
CHAMPLAIN — State forest rangers recovered the body of a woman near a North Country wilderness river and rescued a 17year-old backpacker who was becoming hypothermic in the Catskills during the past week.
The recovery began Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m., when U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Clinton County sheriff’s office requested forest ranger assistance with the search for a 31-year-old reported missing by her husband the previous day. The Plattsburgh Press-republican quoted the sheriff’s department saying officials believe the woman entered the country illegally.
On Dec. 13, nine forest rangers helped coordinate linear search assignments. Investigative efforts narrowed the primary search area to the Great Chazy River. On Dec. 14, 13 rangers worked with CBP Air and Marine Operations, Clinton County sheriff’s office, State Police Underwater Response Team, Clinton County Swiftwater Response Team and the Champlain, Rouses Point and Mooers volunteer fire departments.
At 11 a.m., a ranger air boat crew found the woman dead upstream from the Route 11 bridge. Rangers transported her to the county coroner.
Also on Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m., rangers responded to a call for a lost hiker in the Slide Mountain Wilderness of the Catskills. Coordinates placed the 17year-old from Youngsville between Slide and Cornell mountains, approximately three miles from the trailhead.
Rangers worked with New York State Police and the Big Indian and Claryville fire departments.
At 7:30 p.m., Rangers reached the subject, who was showing symptoms of mild hypothermia. He was in the middle of a twonight backpacking trip that started at the Giant Ledge trailhead with a planned meeting with family at the Slide Mountain trailhead.
Due to the steep and rugged terrain, snow accumulation, rapidly dropping temperatures and exhaustion, the hiker could not reach his planned destination. After warming the hiker with hot liquids, food, and hand and foot warmers, rangers assisted took the hiker to the Slide Mountain trailhead where he was met by his family.
On Dec. 17 at 3 p.m., Greene County requested ranger assistance with the search for a missing 67year-old hiking Kaaterskill High Peak in the Catskills. The hiker was last seen by his hiking partner before leaving to complete the peak. At 4 p.m., rangers located the subject and walked him out to the trailhead.