Canton Fire and Rescue Crews Search the Woods of the SLU Kip Tract for a Lost Skier
 
By Captain Adam Leggett
February 4, 2014
 

Shortly before 0100 hours on 2/4/14 Canton Fire and Rescue was toned out to assemble crews and prepare for a search and rescue operation. As members arrived at the station they were informed by Chiefs McCluskey and Johnson that they would be responding to the Kip Tract trails of St. Lawrence University for reports of a 69 female that had been skiing with her dogs and got lost. SLU Security and Canton PD officers started from the trail head off County Rt. 27 while CFD and CRS responded in from the Pike Road end of the trail where the subject had left her car and entered the area. The search crews zeroed in on the woman's ski tracks and were following them off the trail and near the Little River. The information from dispatch stated that she was down the riverbank, un-injured, but unable to get up the bank. The search crews were following the trail and finally locating the subject far from the trail and down the river bank. The woman's two dogs were barking as the search crew neared the location where she went down, allowing them to finally zero in on her. Chief McCluskey was able to secure the use of a John Deere Gator 4x4 UTV that LeBerge and Curtis graciously lent to the CFD for the night. The trail was cleared of fallen trees and the Gator crew was able to follow the Kip Trail approximately half the distance to the subject’s location. The two crews met up by following the foot prints of the original search crew through the woods. The subject was un-injured and able to slowly walk out to the Gator with the assistance of St. Lawrence County Car 1, SLU Security Officer Coffey and the CFD crews. The subject was removed from the woods on the Gator and taken to the awaiting ambulance for a full evaluation. After warming up in the ambulance she signed off and was given a ride home. All crews cleared the scene after approximately 0300 returning to service with no injuries or equipment damaged.

 
Units: Rescue 1, Ambulance 131
 
Mutual Aid: SLU Security, Canton PD, St. Lawrence County Car 1