New York snowcat rescue . . .
Forest rangers prepare to board a snowcat to rescue three teens who got stranded in deep snow in the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness while skiing Whiteface Mountain.NYS DEC
This photo shows a view from a hike up snowy Mount Marcy on November 16, 2015. Mike Lynch for New York UpstateMike Lynch for New York Upstate
Rangers joined the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests to conduct a prescribed burn on 0.3 acres in Napeague State Park on Feb. 13.NYS DEC
Teens rescued after getting stranded on cliff near Whiteface Mountain
- Updated: Feb. 23, 2026, 3:17 p.m.
- Published: Feb. 23, 2026, 9:05 a.m.
Three teens went out of bounds into the McKenzie Mountain Wilderness while skiing on Whiteface Mountain on the afternoon of Feb. 15, ending up stranded in deep snow on top of a cliff.
Whiteface Mountain Ski Patrol and New York State Department of Environmenal Conservation forest rangers made contact with the skiers and determined that they were uninjured.
Whiteface Mountain staff provided a ride in a snowcat for four rangers. At the same time, a ranger aboard a NYS Police helicopter airdropped sleeping bags to the teens for warmth.
At 6:07 p.m., rangers in the snowcat reached the skiers warm and in good health. They provided the teens with snowshoes and headlamps and assisted them back to the resort.
The following reports are excerpted from DEC:
On Feb. 12 at 3:05 p.m., 21-year-old Brianna Mohr, of New Jersey, called 911 after slipping off the trail near the summit of Mount Marcy. The initial response included seven rangers on snowmobiles and a tracked UTV, and a NYS Police helicopter with two rangers aboard. At 9:51 p.m., a ranger located Mohr’s body. She had died of hypothermia, but her dog was still alive. Rangers hiked it out to safety and recovered Mohr’s body the next day.
A 65-year-old hiker from Arkport became lost while hiking Phelps and Tabletop mountains on the night of Feb. 12. The hiker’s spouse last heard from them at 4:30 p.m., when they were attempting to bushwhack back to the trail, relying on their phone for navigation. But the phone later died. At 10:30 p.m., two rangers found the lost hiker and transported them back to their vehicle. Rangers suggest hiking with a map and compass. There are places in the High Peaks without cell service. Phone batteries also drain more quickly in the cold weather.
A 51-year-old hiker lost the trail on Haystack Mountain on the afternoon of Feb. 14 and was getting cold. Their spouse called rangers, who determined the lost hiker was near the summit of Basin Mountain. Rangers talked the hiker back onto the trail. Two rangers later met the hiker on the trail to ensure the they were safe and guided them back to the trailhead.
On Feb. 13, four rangers joined the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests to conduct a prescribed burn on 0.3 acres in Napeague State Park. Prescribed fire is an important land management tool used to improve habitat for lands and wildlife. This burn was to to reduce fuels built up from the significant loss of pitch pine trees from the invasive southern pine beetle.
On the evening of Feb. 15, a 68-year-old hiker experienced cardiac issues while hiking Whiteface Mountain between Lookout and Marble mountains. Two rangers hiked in and assisted the hiker to the trailhead where they transferred care to Wilmington EMS.
A 42-year-old went hiking on Gothics Mountain with a group on the morning of Feb. 7, but became separated and lost. Seven rangers found them off trail, and in good health, at 11 p.m. as they made their way out of the woods. Rangers assisted the hiker back to the lodge to reunite with the rest of the group.
