VIDEO: Canadian Hiker’s ‘Life Saving’ Rescue by New York DEC

A 23-year-old hiker from Canada is now safe after suffering extensive injuries following a dramatic 40-foot fall in the Adirondack mountains.

It took multiple rescue crews, including a daring helicopter pilot, to successfully extract the injured man from the bottom of the Trap Dike on Mount Colden. Photos and videos show exactly why Forest Ranger Charlie Foutch called the operation "the most complicated rescue I've ever been on".

Emergency Rescue at Mount Colden in Keene, NY

"Working with New York State Police Aviation, eleven Forest Rangers responded to help save a man’s life after he fell from the highest waterfall in the Trap Dike on Mount Colden", began a recent post from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC). The injured hiker had fallen not once, but twice.

Serious Fall at Avalanche Lake on Mount Colden

"He fell, we believe, about 25 feet [from the top of the waterfall to a ledge] and then he fell another 15 feet", said ranger Foutch. New York police transported rangers to the rescue site by helicopter (above) where they learned the injured man had experienced "significant head, rib, hip, and leg injuries" that required an air evacuation.

Multi-Step Rescue at Avalanche Lake

First responders needed to immobilize the hiker on a litter (above) before lowering him by rope to level ground and the helicopter which had expertly landed on the lakeshore. Range Foutch thanked the "teamwork effort" between rangers, police, and the Marcy Dam and Lake Colden caretakers that made the operation a success.

There have been numerous rescues by DEC rangers this year all across New York state. Most recently, a New York City woman required an urgent rescue after a fall on a Greene county, NY trail left her incapacitated. See more impressive rescues of both humans and animals below.