Officials urge hiking safety after Greene County rescue

GREENE COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Fire officials are urging hikers to use caution as the seasons change, and temperatures drop. This comes after an incident on Monday, where more than a dozen first responders were called to rescue a pair of hikers who were stranded at a preserve near Tannersville. 

Two hikers from Massachusetts came to Platte Clove Preserve for a hike. They were rappelling down a cliff that was 120 feet deep and then they couldn’t make their way back up and that’s when they got stuck.

Deputy Fire Chief Michael Ivino from Cedar Grove Fire District who responded to the call tells News10’s Tyanna Xavier exactly what happened.

“At 7 PM, we got a call for a rescue of two stranded hikers in the woods. Those hikers were rappelling and got trapped on a ledge where they were uncomfortable of trying to make their way out even further,” said Fire Chief Ivino.

Fortunately, the hikers had service, so their call was dispatched, however they were stranded for some time waiting.

“It took us about an hour and a half to complete the rescue. So, they were at least down there for an hour. There’s probably 2 hours lapse between the time that they called 911 and they were completely to safety,” said Fire Chief Ivino.

It took about 15 people for this rescue. Teams used a twin tension system. This is when two ropes are each supporting a portion of the load to enhance safety when pulling the hikers back up.

“It appeared that they were freelancing off the trail, which most climbers, you know, recreational hikers like that do,” said Fire Chief Ivino.

The hikers suffered no injuries and were in good health, but being experienced or not Fire Chief Ivino says safety comes first. 

“Know your surroundings, preplan, know where you’re going, make sure people know where you’re going. Have a decent GPS that will allow you to, you know, know your surroundings and then your gear, you want to be able to rely on good gear, good footwear, a good pack, you know, hydration,” said Fire Chief Ivino.

This spot along with many other Catskills parks are high touristy areas according to Deputy Fire Chief Ivino and this wasn’t their first time dealing with this kind of issue. 

“A couple of weeks ago, we did a rescue out of Silo in Catskill. That was a first for us. But probably about three years ago, we were right back here for an ice climber who fell and was injured pretty badly. So, we’re coming into the ice season, and we probably expect to be up here,” said Fire Chief Ivino.