A female hiker was rescued after falling into a ravine in the Buck Creek area of the Pisgah National Forest in Burke County on Friday.
Rescue teams from across the region were called to assist.
The hiker was described as a middle-aged female. She had injuries to her lower legs after falling. The Burke County Rescue team was called to the scene around 1:45 p.m. It took rescuers around seven hours to extract the woman using a helicopter, according to a Facebook post by Burke County Rescue.
Rescuers meet in the Pisgah National Forest during a multi-hour rescue operation to save a fallen hiker.
Courtesy photos of Burke County Rescue
“Upon arrival, rescuers determined the individual was located off-trail in an extremely rugged section of the Pisgah National Forest,” Burke County Rescue said.
Rescuers reached the woman shortly before 3:30 p.m. and began medical assessments and first-aid. Additional rescuers made it to the patient shortly after 5 p.m. and administered advanced life support, the post said.
“Due to the remote and challenging terrain — combined with severe weather conditions — Burke County Emergency Management requested additional support, including state Mountain Rescue Teams and potential air assets,” the post said.
The South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team sent a helicopter at 7:40 p.m. The woman was extracted from the ravine at 8:54 p.m. and taken to an area hospital, the post said.
All rescuers were safely out of the forest shortly before 10:45 p.m.
The South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team uses a helicopter to lift an injured woman out of the Pisgah National Forest in Burke County on Friday.
Courtesy of Burke County Rescue
The Burke County Rescue team said they were assisted by Burke County 911, Burke County Emergency Management, Burke County EMS SP-Ops, Oak Hill Fire Rescue, Long View Fire Department, Longtown Fire Department, Linville Central Rescue, Buncombe Rescue, Haywood Rescue, Henderson Rescue, Appalachian Mountain Rescue Team, South Carolina Emergency Management and the South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team.
“We are also extremely grateful to Chick-fil-A of ɫ for their generous donation to feed this crew in the woods,” the Facebook post said. “It was a welcome boost during a long and demanding mission.”
Sarah Johnson is a digital news reporter for the ɫ News Herald.
The South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team uses a helicopter to lift an injured woman out of the Pisgah National Forest in Burke County on Friday.