State Police Troop B recently acquired a second helicopter which they and state Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers used Tuesday to rescue four teens on Mount Colden in the High Peaks Wilderness.

“This is a fantastic piece of equipment,” said state Police Aviation Director Brent Gillam. “It’s vital to have it permanently assigned up here. It took a lot of work to get it, but it will be put to good use.”

The Huey gained plenty of notoriety for its use in the Vietnam War. It was later used on rescue missions after hurricanes Sandy and Irene. Kotronis and Gillam said the Huey is intended for firefighting, rescue work, DEC supply missions and spotting illegal pot fields. The other Troop B helicopter, a Bell 430 obtained in 2002, will mostly be used for medical evacuation and transport. Often, it takes critically ill or injured patients from local hospitals across Lake Champlain to the region’s trauma center, University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.

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Forest Ranger Rob Praczkajlo describes a new Huey helicopter, seen behind him, at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear Thursday. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)

Numbers unavailable

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Kotronis and Gillam said they didn’t have any data on whether the number of rescue missions that require helicopters is increasing.

“Things are cyclical,” Gillam said. “Sometimes we use it more in the winter. Sometimes we use it more in the summer.”

“There’s no set time,” Kotronis said. “There are times where you can have a couple of rescues in a day and other times where you can go weeks without a rescue mission.”

State Police pilot Scott Kotronis laughs as he describes a new helicopter at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear Thursday. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)

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Gear

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There is still snow and ice on mountains in the Adirondacks, which may have been a surprise to the four teenagers rescued Tuesday, who hail from the Ballston Spa and Saratoga Springs area. One of them was wearing shorts, and others wore basketball shoes, Forest Ranger Scott Sabo told the Times Union of Albany.

Forest Ranger Rob Praczkajlo was also part of Tuesday’s rescue on Mount Colden. He’s been going on rescue missions for the past 19 years. Accidents happen all time in the Adirondacks. People trip, get lost or get exhausted. Praczkajlo said something as small as a sprained ankle can turn into a life-threatening situation in the mountains. He said people might be prepared for going up a mountain but not the trip back.

The cockpit of State Police Troop B’s newest helicopter, a Bell UH-1A Huey, is seen at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear Thursday. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)

“We tell people they need to bring clothes to stay overnight,” he said. “Even if they’re doing the shortest summit hike, you should be prepared to spend the night. And also have a headlamp. That’s another very common mistake people make.”

Praczkajlo and Kotronis said that’s what they pack when they hop in the helicopter for a rescue mission. They also bring snowshoes or microspikes along.

The helicopter, too, is equipped with attachments called “bear paws,” which allow it to land on unstable terrain.

“Even the chopper’s got its snowshoes,” Kotronis said.

Gillam said the State Police Aviation Unit has 50 members, 32 of whom are stationed in northern New York.

The passenger seats of State Police Troop B’s newest helicopter, a Bell UH-1A Huey, are seen at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear Thursday. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)

State Police Troop B’s newest helicopter, a Bell UH-1A Huey, is seen at the Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear Thursday. (Enterprise photo — Griffin Kelly)