An injured hiker was hoisted to safety out of the Grandfather Trail in North Carolina after falling down a ladder on Sunday.
AVERY COUNTY, N.C. – First responders were tasked with a tricky rescue involving an injured hiker at Macrae Creek in North Carolina on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon, the Linville-Central Rescue Squad was alerted regarding a hiker who had fallen from the last ladder while traveling along the Grandfather Trail, according to a Facebook post from the Linville-Central Rescue Squad.
The Grandfather Trail and Macrae Peak, specifically, is a journey that only experienced hikers should attempt. It is a complex mountain hike that requires the use of in-place ladders and cables to get to certain points.
Members of the Linville-Central Rescue Squad reach an injured hiker along the Grandfather Trail in North Carolina.
(Captain Kyle Kitchin, Training Officer / Linville-Central Rescue Squad )
According to rescuers, the rescue was a joint effort involving multiple agencies that quickly located the injured hiker at the bottom of the ladder near Macrae Creek.
After officials performed initial medical treatment on the hiker, they began the strenuous process of carrying the victim out through several sections, at some points requiring lowering the hiker by rope.
After assessing the length of the carry, the technical aspects, and the difficult terrain, the decision was made to contact the North Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team for a hoist rescue.
Video footage shows first responders carefully lifting the hiker up as he ascends to the helicopter for extraction.
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According to the rescue team, the hiker was safely hoisted out of the complex trail and flown to a landing zone where a medical helicopter transferred the victim to a facility for further treatment.
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It is important to know your physical limits when hiking and be well-informed on the potential challenges of certain trails.
