Injured hiker rescued from North Georgia wilderness

A hiker who was stuck in an “extremely remote and rugged” part of the North Georgia mountains was rescued Sunday, officials said.

The 30-year-old injured his ankle in the Cohutta Wilderness Area of the Chattahoochee National Forest in Fannin County, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The Cohutta Wilderness, a more than 36,000-acre forest, boasts some of the most remote hiking trails in the state.

Just after noon, emergency officials responded to the scene to search for the man. The plan was to search with all-terrain vehicles, but authorities discovered the area was too rough, even for the 4-wheelers.

A DNR helicopter was brought in. When it arrived, officials learned that no first responders had made contact with the man.

“In fact, first responders were hours away and there were no suitable roads or ATV trails for miles,” the DNR said in a Facebook post.

The helicopter found the hiker, and an official rappelled down to provide aid to him. Both were flown to a waiting ambulance about five miles away.

“Had the Aviation Unit not trained and been prepared to insert a Game Warden via long line, this victim would have probably been on the mountain until after dark,” the DNR said in the Facebook post.

It’s not clear how long the man was stuck in the Cohutta Wilderness or who notified authorities about him.

In other news:

The incident happened at the QT convenience store on Senoia Road.

About the Author

Asia Simone Burns

Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.