On Jan. 24, at 11:41am, officials in Greene County called for assistance from Forest Rangers to help an injured ice climber at Buttermilk Falls. The climber, a 35-year-old New Paltz resident, had fallen but managed to descend four more pitches before encountering a group of ice climbers who alerted authorities. While waiting for rescue, the group provided initial care for the climber, who had sustained injuries to his ankle and wrist.
Forest Rangers reached the climber at 1:15pm. Due to the challenging and remote location, Rangers requested a hoist rescue from New York State Police pilots Leeder and Plitsch. The injured climber was secured in a harness, and Ranger Cowart facilitated the hoist into the helicopter. By 4:30pm, the helicopter transported the climber to a landing zone, where he was transferred to Hunter Ambulance. Support was also provided by the Haines Falls Volunteer Fire Department and Greene County Paramedics.
The climber had been climbing solo without ropes and was not carrying a cell phone. The Department of Environmental Conservation advises climbing with a group to ensure help can be reached quickly in case of emergencies.
Join the family! 
