A medical flight crew from the Tennessee Army National Guard performed an emergency air evacuation mission for a hiker in medical distress along the Appalachian Trail on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
Shortly after midnight, the Tennessee Military Department and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency were notified of a 27-year-old hiker needing rescue from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The hiker was in a remote area near the Silers Bald Shelter along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.
Unfortunately, the aircraft encountered thick cloud cover and the darkness made finding the victim difficult.
Just before 3 a.m., the aircraft crew chief lowered a flight paramedic to the ground by hoist to do a quick medical assessment and prepare the hiker for transport. At approximately 3:30 a.m., the aircraft landed at UT Medical Center in Knoxville where medical personnel received the patient.