Hiker rescued from Mount Pisgah after fall

The Asheville Citizen-Times is reporting that a hiker was rescued yesterday after falling on some rocks near the base of a television tower on Mount Pisgah.

A call came in around 2:15 p.m. reporting that a hiker had fallen from the WLOS-TV tower and was still clinging to it, according to emergency scanner traffic. Once on the scene, however, rescue crews learned that a man in his mid-70s had hiked to the base of the tower and fallen on some rocks, Upper Hominy fire chief Steve Hensley said.

Hensley said he did not know the man’s name or how far he fell, but said he was unaware of any injuries other than some shoulder pain. The man was hiking with a group of people and one of the other hikers provided first aid until help arrived.

The accident happened about 1.5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway over rugged terrain. Crews used a tram used by WLOS to access the tower to move the injured man to an ambulance in Haywood County, Hensley said.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Stranded canoers rescued at Big South Fork

Late last week, a visitor called 911 and reported a canoe pinned on rocks above Angel Falls Rapid (Class IV) on the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Two boaters were clinging to the rock at the head of the rapid.

Multiple drownings and boating accidents have occurred at this rapid (which has severely undercut rocks) in recent history.

Rangers, Scott County Rescue Squad members, and river guides from Sheltowee Trace Outfitters all responded and participated in the rescue. Once safety measures were put into place, a modified Telfer lowering system was employed and a raft with a rescuer was lowered to the victims. After being on the rock for nearly three hours, the two men were able to jump into the raft, which was pulled to safety.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.