Two hikers mistakenly thought a companion, the third member of their hiking party, was dead and reported the false death. However, they were later determined to be in "an altered mental state" after ingesting mushrooms, according to officials. On May 24, at 9 a.m. local time, a forest ranger responded to a call on Cascade Mountain in New York State after two hikers called 911 to report the death, according to the state's Department of Environmental Conservation, DEC. The two hikers also told the Cascade Summit Steward that they were lost. "The steward determined the hikers were in an altered mental state," the agency stated. The third member of the hiking group was not injured, reported the DEC. The hikers had reportedly eaten hallucinogenic mushrooms, according to the statement. The hiking duo was escorted to an awaiting ambulance and a New York State Police unit. The ranger also escorted the third hiker back to their campsite. Cascade Mountain is located in New York State near Lake Placid. It is a part of the Adirondack High Peaks and is the 36th tallest, according to information available onLakePlacid.com. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her onLinkedIn,X,InstagramandTikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Hikers ate mushrooms then mistakenly reported their companion's death
