EAST GREENBUSH – Officers Brenden Finch, Keith Millington, and Zack Milkiewicz could hear the man calling for help on July 20.

From Action Signs on 9J, they ran into the woods, calling out over and over and hearing calls for help. They followed the man’s voice.

Officer Finch started up the 500-foot climb through thick woods. It’s a steep uphill journey, and he’s still moving quickly.

“This hill is probably a 70-degree angle with all those vines and everything,” said East Greenbush Detective Sergeant Michael Guadagnino. “Officer Finch made it look pretty easy!”

Pulling aside branches and brush, pushing through vines, he gets to the railroad tracks.

Now it’s another climb uphill, but he plunges right in and keeps going towards the man’s voice, never giving up.

He passed the ATV and found the rider, Sam Martin.

“He’d been there for approximately two hours, yelling for help. His cellphone and everything else had been on the ATV, so he wasn’t able to move to it due to the injury. He was conscious, alert, breathing. Obviously in extreme pain,” said Guadagnino.

“That we were able to locate this man, that somebody was conscious enough to call this in, if not, he could have been there overnight, possibly for days because that’s not an area that most people frequent. We just wanted to show that these officers, young officers, went above and beyond and did a great job that day.”

Guadagnino says Sam Martin has a broken leg, but is doing well. The officers are likely to be honored for their actions soon.