Overview

• The group sent a satellite text to Ray Brook Dispatch around 5 p.m., reporting they were lost and that one hiker had a “debilitating high” after consuming mushrooms.
• Forest Rangers Franceschina, Jeffery, and Martin located the hikers by 6:45 p.m. and, with help from the Pine Hill Fire Department, guided them to the trailhead for evaluation by Shandaken Ambulance.
• No injuries were reported, and rangers provided a courtesy ride to the hikers’ rental lodging that night.
• Ranger Martin returned the next day and found a sling bag under a log in tall ferns containing the group’s car keys.
• DEC noted steep, cliff-lined terrain around Giant Ledge and reported 139 search-and-rescue missions in 2025 through July after 362 in 2024, as the Police Benevolent Association of New York State praised the rangers’ dedication.