:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/3-hikers-052825-e1ceae8420384a3f908bcfd9fb354757.jpg "Lost Hikers Call Police to Report Friend's Death — Only for Police to Discover They Were on Mushrooms and Friend Was Alive")
NEED TO KNOW
- On Saturday, May 24, two hikers called 911 to report that the third member of their hiking party on New York’s Adirondack High Peaks had died, per a press release from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation
- The two hikers who made the 911 call were in an “altered mental state” and had ingested “hallucinogenic mushrooms,” per the press release
- The third friend was not injured
Two friends had the trip of a lifetime on New York’s Adirondack High Peaks over Memorial Day Weekend.
According to a news release from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Forest Ranger Praczkajlo responded to a call for a reportedly deceased hiker on Cascade Mountain on Saturday, May 24, at 9 a.m. local time.
Two hikers had called 911 to report that the third member of their hiking party had died, said the agency. When the two hikers encountered the Cascade Summit Steward, they also advised that they were lost.
Cascade Mountain is the 36th-tallest of the Adirondack High Peaks, according to LakePlacid.com.
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AllTrails.com describes the area as a “challenging route” that is “a very popular area for hiking and snowshoeing.”
“You’ll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime,” the website states.
For the friends, though, it wasn’t the trail that caused the trouble.
According to the news release, the steward determined that the two hikers who made the 911 call were in an “altered mental state” and had ingested “hallucinogenic mushrooms.”
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Medical News Today explains on its website that Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic chemical compound in certain mushrooms known as magic mushrooms.
Eating mushrooms that contain psilocybin can have various effects, ranging from euphoria to hallucinations, according to the agency.
Ranger Praczkajlo escorted the two hikers who had ingested the hallucinogenic mushrooms to a waiting ambulance and a New York State Police unit.
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As for the third member of their party, the news release states they “called and was not injured.” They were escorted back to their campsite by Praczkajlo.
Read the full article here