Hiker rescued after seven-hour ledge wait

A 60-year-old Canadian hiker stood motionless on an icy ledge for seven hours before rescue teams extracted him from the Adirondack Mountains in New York. The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 21, along the Mount Colden Trap Dike.

State forest rangers said the man activated an emergency satellite beacon at approximately 6:30 p.m. The signal sent out after he lost his crampons, the traction spikes attached to his winter boots. Without the gear, the hiker could not move up or down the steep slope safely.

Rescue personnel arrived on the scene around 1 a.m. to secure the climber. Forest Ranger Jenna Curcio described the difficulty of the operation. “When I got out to him and was trying just to get him secured to me, the thought went through my mind: if we both slip before I have him clipped in and on my tether, he’s dead. He’s like, gone,” Curcio said.

Officials noted that the Trap Dike route is classified as a fourth-class mountaineering climb. The path has claimed multiple lives in the past. Rangers advised outdoor enthusiasts to research routes thoroughly and carry proper equipment before attempting steep backcountry terrain.