### Hikers Misidentify Death Due to Hallucinogenic Mushrooms in Adirondack Mountains

NORTH ELBA, N.Y. — A hiking trip in New York's Adirondack Mountains took an unexpected turn when two of the hikers mistakenly reported the death of their companion after ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms. This incident, as revealed by officials on Wednesday, sparked a flurry of emergency responses.

On Saturday, a state forest ranger was dispatched to Cascade Mountain—a favored hiking destination in the Adirondack High Peaks—following a distress call about a presumed death. The New York Department of Environmental Conservation described the events in a news release, outlining the misleading nature of the emergency.

Alongside the call to 911, the two hikers approached a steward at the mountain's summit to express they were lost. The steward swiftly discerned that their altered mental state was due to the mushrooms they had consumed, which significantly impaired their judgment.

The responding forest ranger safely guided the two disoriented hikers to an ambulance, which then transported them to a nearby hospital for evaluation. Meanwhile, the third hiker, who was the subject of the false death report, was located and escorted back to the campsite. Ultimately, the hiking group was reunited, officials confirmed.