FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. — A massive multi-agency rescue effort ended with a lost hunter being airlifted to safety from a rugged North Georgia wilderness area.
According to Fannin County Search & Rescue, crews spent hours searching for the hunter in the Cohutta Wildlife Management Area near the Pinhoti Trail off Forest Service Road 64.
The initial call came in during the morning, prompting a response from Fannin County Search & Rescue and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Rescuers eventually located the hunter several miles off the trail in a steep ravine thousands of feet below the surrounding terrain. The Georgia DNR made first contact with the hunter shortly after 7 p.m.
After assessing his condition, crews determined the terrain was too dangerous to safely carry him out on foot.
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With darkness setting in and weather conditions changing, many traditional aviation options were no longer available. That’s when the U.S. Army Camp Merrill helicopter rescue team was called in.
The military crew conducted a nighttime hoist rescue, lifting the hunter out of the ravine and flying him to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Ground crews then faced their own long trek out of the wilderness, with all rescue personnel safely exiting the area between 2 and 3 a.m.
Officials called the operation an example of federal, state and local agencies working together under difficult conditions to bring someone home safely.
Fannin County Search & Rescue also thanked Tracy Padgett, who knew the hunter and assisted with command and communications throughout the operation.
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