NYS DEC forest ranger report for week of Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 2025 A 42-year-old who was injured after jumping off a 50-foot cliff into a lake in Lewisboro, Westchester County, was rescued by an off duty forest ranger on Aug. 30. (NYS DEC/NYS DEC)

On the evening of Aug. 30, a 42-year-old jumped off a 50-foot cliff into a lake in the town of Lewisboro, Westchester County.

The cliff jumper suffered significant foot and back injuries when they hit the water and cried out in pain.

An off-duty New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest ranger happened to be enjoying a day off on the same lake and heard the person’s cries for help.

The ranger dove off his boat, swam to the injured cliff jumper, and performed a spine assessment. He determined it was a high-risk injury and borrowed a paddle board to stabilize the patient in a spine-safe position.

Pulling the paddle board behind him, the ranger then swam 150 yards to a camp where EMS was waiting. EMS transported the cliff jumper to the hospital for successful surgery.

The following reports are excerpted from DEC:NYS DEC forest ranger report for week of Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 2025 Lightning sparked a fire on Bear Den Mountain on Aug. 31. Rangers, assisted by NYS Police Aviation, declared the fire officially out on Sept. 4. (NYS DEC/NYS DEC)

A hiker on Noonmark Mountain reported seeing smoke in the sky on the evening of Aug. 31. Three rangers located the fire near Gravestone Brook on the side of Bear Den Mountain and determined it was caused by lightning. They suppressed the one-acre fire using hand tools but it continued burning approximately three feet deep into the duff. A New York State Police helicopter flew in with pumps and hoses. Rangers declared the fire officially out on Sept. 4.

On the night of Sept. 1, hikers in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness called rangers to report a fire. Two rangers spent the night on site at Whitney Lake. Another ranger joined them in the morning and helped put out the .25-acre fire.

An unattended campfire on a remote, trailless peak spread into duff near the summit of Rocky Mountain on Sept. 3. Three rangers removed hazardous trees from the fire area and used hand tools to expose underground heat in preparation for overnight rain. Despite the rain, the fire grew to 20 feet by 30 feet. On Sept. 8, a state police helicopter made bucket drops while fire crews eliminated all heat and smoke. The fire is now in patrol status and rangers are monitoring.

A 74-year-old with dementia disappeared from their Manlius backyard on the evening of Sept. 3. Two rangers along with state police bloodhounds and a Manlius Police drone searched to no avail. Later that night, a member of the Manlius Fire Department found the person in a wooded area and turned them over to EMS for transport to the hospital.

A 39-year-old hiker from Michigan got separated from their hiking partner on Mount Marcy on Sept 7. Coordinates placed them near the summit of Skylight Mountain. Then the other hiking partner, a 42-year-old Michigander, called to report they were also lost near the Van Hoevenberg trail. Two pairs of rangers found the lost hikers in the early morning hours and reunited them the next day.

A 59-year-old went missing on Sept. 2 in the town of Salem after leaving a note indicating they were going for a walk. Six rangers joined members of the Shushan Fire Department and deputies from Washington County Sheriff’s Office in a search for the missing person. On Sept. 6, a ranger-led search crew found the person deceased and turned the body over to the Washington County coroner.

If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance, help is available. 988 is a free 24-hour hotline to call or text anywhere in New York. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Steve Featherstone covers the outdoors. Contact him at sfeatherstone@syracuse.com.