Four hikers were rescued after getting lost while “experiencing a debilitating psychedelic mushroom high” in New York’s Catskill Mountains on Aug. 29, authorities said.
The hikers were near Giant Ledge in the Slide Mountain Wilderness when they sent a text via satellite to Ray Brook Dispatch at 5 p.m., reporting that they were lost, according to a New York State Troopers press release and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
They took shelter near Giant Ledge, “an interconnected trail hike ranging from 1,100 to 2,600 feet in elevation with several sheer cliffs and drops,” according to the NYST release. The original caller admitted that the group had “consumed mushrooms and one of them was experiencing a debilitating high.”
Around 6:45 p.m., Forest Rangers found the hikers. They were rescued by the Pine Hill Fire Department and evaluated by the Shandaken Ambulance, the DEC said.
The hikers had lost their keys during the trip, so the rangers gave them a ride back to their rental lodging. The next day, Ranger Martin found the keys under a log in tall ferns.
“This level of dedication, at the start of a busy Labor Day weekend, is representative of the commitment shared by our Forest Ranger members,” NYST spokesperson Geoff McCartney said. “The PBA of New York State is proud to highlight our Forest Rangers and all members’ continued dedication to public safety in the face of difficulty and danger.”
The recent call for help follows a similar incident in May. Two hikers who had ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms called 911 to report that the third member of their party had died. But when rangers arrived, they discovered the third hiker “was not injured.”
Psilocybin mushrooms contain a hallucinogenic chemical found in certain mushrooms, sometimes called magic mushrooms. Eating them can produce effects ranging from euphoria to hallucinations, according to Medical News Today.
