[Video] New York Hiker’s Risky Air Rescue By DEC

What is it like to be hoisted hundreds of feet in the air after suffering a debilitating injury on a mountainside? Two more New Yorkers now have that answer after an intense and dangerous day in the Adirondacks.

Air Rescues of New York Hikers

Mountain rescues can be both difficult and time-consuming. Luckily for the injured hikers, the the New York State Police (NYSP) aviation helicopter was available. That meant that rescues that could have easily taken a full day each were both completed in less than six hours. In a newly released video (below), DEC ranger Andrew Lewis described the busy day.

Rescue Near Saddleback Mountain, NY

The second person to be rescued, a hiking enthusiast from Latham, NY, described the harrowing ordeal that led to his air rescue.

I had almost completely descended [the mountain] when I took a sliding fall of about 30’... sustaining a pretty serious laceration to my left leg. As the swelling grew and pain got severe it was obvious that I couldn’t continue climbing. While very embarrassed, I called the DEC emergency number.

He noted that less than two hours after he made the call, a rescue helicopter appeared above him in the sky. The hiker's "embarrassment" seemingly stemmed from not only his own extensive hiking experience, but the fact that he himself worked as a ranger and paramedic as well. He also revealed that it was "very humbling to be on the receiving end" of such a rescue that he described as "awesome…swift, professional and caring".

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New York State Police Helicopters in Action

This isn't the first time NYSP aviation has lent a helping hand. Recent summer wildfires in Ellenville, NY were raging in Minnewaska State Park when helicopters joined the firefight, dumping massive buckets on the blaze. Check out another daring helicopter rescue below.