Four hikers were rescued in New York after they became lost “while experiencing a debilitating psychedelic mushroom high,” according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and a press release from the New York State Troopers (NYST).
Hikers Became Trapped After Ingesting Hallucinogenics
The bad trip took place on Aug. 29 at the Giant Ledge in the Slide Mountain Wilderness in the Catskill Mountains. It was around 5 p.m. when one of the hikers alerted authorities at Ray Brook Dispatch via satellite text message, reporting that they had become lost. The quartet took refuge on the aptly named Giant Ledge, “an interconnected trail hike ranging from 1,100 to 2,600 feet in elevation with several sheer cliffs and drops,” according to the NYSDEC. The original caller then confessed that the group had “consumed mushrooms and one of them was experiencing a debilitating high.”
Forest rangers with the Pine Hill Fire Department located the hikers around 6:45 p.m., and they were later evaluated by the Shandaken Ambulance Service. Since the misguided travelers had lost their car keys in the confusion, a forest ranger gave them a ride to their lodging. The following day, that same ranger returned to the scene and located the lost items stashed under a log near a large tree.
“This level of dedication, at the start of a busy Labor Day weekend, is representative of the commitment shared by our Forest Ranger members,” said PBA of New York State President James McCartney. “The PBA of New York State is proud to highlight our Forest Rangers and all members’ continued dedication to public safety in the face of difficulty and danger.”
It’s Not the First Time This Has Happened Recently
This incident recalls a similar catastrophe which befell a trio of hikers in May. After ingesting “hallucinogenic mushrooms,” two members of the party called 911 to report that their other friend had died. When forest rangers descended upon the scene, it was determined that the third person was alive and “not injured.”
