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On the evening of July 8, a 29-year-old from Poughkeepsie tried to rescue a dog that went over the edge of Fawn’s Leap, a popular Catskills swimming hole fed by a 24-waterfall and surrounded by sheer rock walls.
But the would-be dog rescuer got stuck on the rocks above the churning water, while the dog was stranded on the opposite side of the stream.
Two New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers joined rescue teams from local fire and sheriff’s departments in setting up a high-angle rope system.
Rangers also provided a life vest to the swimmer as a rescuer was lowered to attach a harness to both the swimmer and the dog. The swimmer and dog were then hoisted to the top of Fawn’s Leap, where rescuers assisted them across a calmer section of the stream.
The rescue occurred in a restricted area with signs warning visitors not to go within 15 feet of cliff edges. Due to its scenic beauty and close proximity to a main road, Fawn’s Leap is the site of frequent accidents and drownings.
A 15-year-old boy died in April after jumping off a cliff at Fawn’s Leap.
The following reports are excerpted from DEC:
A 61-year-old hiker from Nyack suffered a broken arm on Mount Marcy on July 7. A NYS Police helicopter flew two rangers to the hiker’s location, where they splinted the hiker’s arm and hoisted them into the chopper. A ranger stayed behind to walk out with the rest of the hiker’s party.
On July 8, a hiker injured their shoulder approximately half a mile from the summit of Upper Wolfjaw Mountain. The hiker’s friend was helping on a steep section of trail and pulled the hiker’s shoulder out of joint. They nonetheless continued on to Johns Brook Lodge, where two rangers put the hiker’s arm in a sling. Rangers then escorted them to the trailhead.
A ranger on patrol in Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area on July 9 stopped two 15-year-olds riding electric bikes. The ranger warned the teens that electric bikes aren’t allowed in state Wildlife Management Areas, nor are they to be operated by anyone under 16, or allowed on roads with posted speed limits over 30 miles per hour. The ranger called the teens’ parents and told them to come pick up their kids.
Two people got lost at the Michael Ciaiola Conservation Area on the afternoon of July 10. A ranger found the hikers near coordinates provided by state police and escorted them back to the trailhead.
A hiker was reported to be unconscious at Kaaterskill Falls on the evening of July 12. When rangers and rescuers arrived, the hiker was awake and experiencing a diabetic emergency. Rescuers carried the person to the trailhead. A Hunter ambulance transported them to the hospital.
A 33-year-old from Greenwich called for help after their ATV broke down in Mounnt Tom State Forest on the morning of July 10. Rangers assisted the rider back home, a short distance from the trailhead, and issued tickets for illegal use of a motor vehicle on state land, damaging state land, and failure to obey DEC signage.
A 20-year-old hiker from Rhode Island injured their ankle at the Middle Settlement lean-to in the Ha-De-Ron-Dah Wilderness on July 11. Rangers splinted their ankle and provided hiking poles before rescue personnel arrived with a wheeled litter to transport the hiker to their vehicle.
On the night of July 11, a 19-year-old hiker from New Jersey hurt their ankle near Indian Falls on the Van Ho trail. A ranger met them at Marcy Dam, assessed the injury, and provided a ride to their vehicle.
A hiker fell and hit their head on a rock approximately a quarter mile up the Tanbark Trail on July 12. Two rangers joined local rescue personnel to package the patient and carry them to the road. Shandaken EMS transported them to the hospital.
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