A hiker from Schenectady had nearly reached the summit of Mount Marcy on October 20 when they fell and refused to get up. Instead, the hiker texted 911 for help.
At 5,343 feet, Mount Marcy is New York’s highest peak. In mid-October, weather near the summit is highly variable, and can quickly turn into full winter conditions, with below freezing temperatures and biting wind chills.
A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forest ranger made phone contact with the hiker, who said they were freezing, in shock, and too stressed out to get off the ground and get moving. The ranger explained to the hiker that if they didn’t get out of the wind soon, they could die from hypothermia…