One Upstate NY Teen Saved from Near Death Hiking Experience in the Adirondacks

Yet another example of why you need to be overprepared for a hiking trip... It could mean your life.

Joe "Dmytri" Gutch recently went on a hiking trip with his friend in the Adirondacks. The two 19-year-olds planned to summit all of Algonquin Peak, but things didn't go as planned.

The two hikers made it up the first peak, but that's when the weather began to take a nasty turn. The wind and snow picked up, causing Dmytri's friend to head back down the mountain and leave.

Dmytri continued on, eventually reaching the peak of Algonquin and realizing he was caught in the middle of a snow storm. He texted his friend for help, only to find he was completely on his own.

That was the time of most uncertainty. I didn't have a game plan, I didn't know how I was getting home.

To make things worse, that was also when the spikes on his boots broke. Unable to walk on the ice, his downhill trek only got harder.

Dmytri called his dad to tell him his situation, and then he quickly called 911. NYS Forest Rangers were sent to the mountain to the rescue, calling and talking to the hiker on the phone to keep him awake.

That's an intense moment when you are told to get to a certain point... or else you die.

The Forest Rangers guided Dmytri though waste deep snow until they were eventually able to find and rescue him.

This goes to show you always need to be prepared for the worst when going on a hiking trip, regardless of what you're climbing. Gutch knew enough to call for help when he needed it, but proper preparation for the trip would have kept his life from being at risk.

Stay up-to-date with the DEC's latest winter hiking safety tips by visiting their website.