Overview

• Ray Brook Dispatch received a 911 satellite text around 5 p.m. on Aug. 29 from near Giant Ledge reporting four lost hikers and one experiencing a debilitating psychedelic high.
• Forest Rangers Franceschina, Jeffery, and Martin located the group at 6:45 p.m., with Pine Hill Fire Department assisting and Shandaken Ambulance evaluating the hikers.
• Officials said none of the men required hospitalization; the hikers were guided back to the trailhead and later driven to their rental lodging.
• The group, described as four men in their 20s, had strayed roughly 1,000 feet off the marked trail, and one hiker hallucinated a bridge that did not exist.
• Ranger Russell Martin returned the next day and found their lost car keys in a sling bag under a log, as the DEC reported high rescue volumes this season with 139 incidents since July and 362 in 2024.