Tragedy On Mount Marcy, Heartbreaking Outcome For Hiker and Dog

This is an incredibly heartbreaking story of a hiker and canine companion, hiking Mount Marcy in Essex County, when the pair slipped off the trail. There was a call for help and a massive rescue mission, but only one of the two made it out alive.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) suggest the following if you get lost in the woods of New York:

• Stop where you are
• If you are sure you can get yourself out of the woods using a map and compass, do so-otherwise stay put.
• If you have cell service, call the DEC Dispatch
• If you don't have cell service, move to a location close by where you are visible to searchers on the ground or in the air. If you have something brightly colored, wear it or place it in a conspicuous location.

Get our free mobile app

On Thursday February 12th at approximately 3:05pm, Ray Brook Dispatch received a call through Essex County 911 from a hiker with a dog who said they slipped off the trail near the summit of Mount Marcy and were unable to get back on the trail.

Read more; This NY Spot Ranked Among Top 6 Places To Go In 2026 

The initial response included six Forest Rangers on snowmobiles, one New York State Police Pilot, one Ranger Helicopter Crew Chief, one Ranger Helicopter rescuer, and one Ranger on a tracked utility task vehicle. New York State Police Aviation responded for a possible hoist rescue.

Due to the heavy cloud cover, the two Rangers in the helicopter could not see the missing hiker. Three Hours into the search, one of the Rangers in the helicopter was inserted into the Marcy Dam Outpost to search on the ground.

Just before 10pm, a Ranger located the 21-year-old hiker from New Jersey deceased and weather conditions prevented removal from the mountain at that time. Rangers also found the dog alive and hiked it out to safety. The body was recovered the next morning.