New York hiker rescued after spending 17 hours stuck in marsh

By Cat Ellis
published

The hiker went missing while walking in the Hudson Valley at the weekend, and spent a whole night in the water

Hudson Valley in fall
(Image credit: Getty)

A hiker has been rescued after becoming stuck in a marsh in the Hudson Valley for 17 hours. The person, whose name and hometown haven't been released, went missing early Friday afternoon.

According to local new site Hudson Valley Post (opens in new tab), the Thiells Fire Department (opens in new tab) was called to assist just before 6:30am on Saturday, and sent members of its diving team to assist in a major search and rescue operation.

The hiker was found in a marshy area of Island Pond. They were taken for medical treatment and are reported to be in stable condition.

Photos from the rescue shared by the fire department show the individual wrapped in foil blankets, and after spending a night in the pond, they may have suffered hypothermia.

"Upon arrival, our divers utilized Tuxedos Zodiac [an inflatable speedboat] and safely removed the hiker who was stuck in the marsh since 1pm yesterday," said the fire department in an Instagram post (opens in new tab).

A post shared by Thiells Fire Department (@thiellsfd) (opens in new tab)

A photo posted by on

Island Pond, despite its name, is a glacially formed lake. It's a popular spot for fishing and sightseeing, but it's not known why the hiker entered the water.

Cat Ellis
Cat Ellis
Editor

Cat is the editor of Advnture, She’s been a journalist for 13 years, and was fitness and wellbeing editor on TechRadar before joining the Advnture team in 2022. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better).