Hiker Rescued Near Hawk Mountain In GA

FANNIN COUNTY, GA — A 46-year-old man who became ill while hiking the Appalachian Trail near Hawk Mountain was saved during a rescue that took about eight hours, emergency management officials said.

Local 911 operators received a call around 10:45 a.m. Saturday that the man who became ill was unable to walk, according to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency.

The man had been hiking northbound on the Appalachian Trail, which stretches through Georgia and 13 other states along the East Coast.

When first responders arrived, officials said they found the man in a remote section of the trail. The "challenging" terrain forced first responders to put the man, who was non-ambulatory, in a stokes basket, officials said.

They carried him out to a location where the Georgia Department of Natural Resources provided aerial support, officials said. They added he was "long-lined" to a landing zone near the top of Hawk Mountain.

The man was then transferred to Life Force, which airlifted him to a nearby hospital for evaluation and treatment, officials said.

First responders completed the call shortly after 7 p.m.

"Incidents like this highlight the importance of teamwork, preparation and interagency cooperation when operating in remote areas of our county," officials said.

Fannin County EMA released a 16-second video clip related to the rescue, showing two people being hoisted into the air by helicopter.

Georgia DNR said the following personnel from its law enforcement division assisted with the rescue: Cpl. Jared Wood, Game Warden Will Gilstrap, Lt. Sam Miller, Sgt. James Keener and Cpl. Kalem Burns.

"So glad we could assist our partners at Fannin County with a successful long line extraction," Georgia DNR said in a Facebook post published Sunday.

EMA officials shared the following tips for hikers:

• Stay hydrated.
• Know your physical limits.
• Share your hiking plan with someone.
• Carry adequate supplies and communication devices.