DEC: Take proper safety precautions on summer hikes

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- As recent temperatures around the region have hovered around the 90s, the Department of Environmental Conservation is warning hikers to take proper precautions before heading outdoors. Forest Rangers in New York have already seen cases of hikers suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion.

As per the DEC, Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke occur when your body's cooling mechanisms are overcome by heat, causing a dangerously high body temperature. To best protect yourself, the DEC recommends avoiding hikes in extremely hot weather.

If hikers do decide to go out, the DEC recommends wearing sunscreen, seeking shade, and avoiding long periods in direct sunlight. Hikers should also move at a slower pace, drink plenty of water, and rest often.

If you are feeling exhausted, do not push your limits. In the case of an emergency, hikers can call 911 or the DEC Dispatch at 1-833-697-7264.