VIDEO: Spectacular ‘All-Night’ Ranger Rescue in New York

To quote Yogi Berra, it ain't over 'til it's over... and New York Forest Rangers have once again proved the famous saying is true for more than just baseball.

New York State is known for its beautiful and challenging trails. From Breakneck Ridge and Mohonk's Lemon Squeeze in the Hudson Valley, NY to the mighty Adirondacks further north, there's an adventure for nearly every skill level. When disaster struck last week on Saddleback Mountain, however, rangers needed to stage a heroic rescue.

"All Night" Rescue on Saddleback Mountain in New York's Adirondacks

Adkdirtranger, an Instagram account dedicated to documenting the difficult and varied work of forest rangers in the Adirondack mountain range, recently shared heart-pounding video footage of an overnight rescue on Saddleback Mountain.

Not only had the patient reportedly broken their leg, but conditions (below) made visibility nearly impossible.

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Through the driving wind and fog, a light from the stranded party can be seen in the distance. Though the hikers were located, the injured hiker needed assistance to make it up a cliffside before descending down the technical mountain without sustaining further injury.

Technical Rope Rescue on Saddleback Mountain

First, rangers loaded the patient into a litter and utilized a "technical rope rescue", pulling them up the cliffside (above) before bringing them down the mountain (below). Not only was this far from the first rescue of its kind of the year, but rangers shared that a nearly-identical rescue was happening simultaneously on a neighboring mountain.

Rescue on Basin Mountain in New York's Adirondacks

On Basin Mountain, an out-of-state hiker had also suffered a leg injury. Similarly to the rescue on Saddleback Mountain (which occurred at almost exactly the same time), conditions required a sled rescue before rangers could switch to a carry system (below).

New York State Forest Rangers Stage Helicopter Rescues

While weather conditions prohibited the use of helicopters on Saddleback Mountain, aerial rescues are often the preferred method of extraction. On Wittenberg Mountain in Ulster County, NY, for example, an incapacitated hiker was able to be hoisted to safety in September 2023 in an operation rangers called "the biggest game of multitasking that you could ever imagine" (below).

From sleds to helicopters and everything in between, New York State Forest Rangers are standing by to keep New Yorkers safe. Check out photographs from more dramatic mountain rescues below.