Hiker ‘unable to stand’ is hoisted off Appalachian Trail by rescuers in Tennessee

A hiker on the Appalachian Trail was rescued after becoming “unable to stand or walk,” according to the Tennessee National Guard.

Officials did not reveal the identity of the hiker or cause of the “severe illness.”

Authorities were alerted Tuesday, March 15, around 7 a.m. that an incapacitated hiker was stranded near the Double Spring Gap Shelter in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter was dispatched for a search, and the hiker was found around 9 a.m., the Tennessee National Guard said in a news release. Crew members dropped to the ground and worked together to hoist the hiker into the hovering helicopter, officials said.

“The hiker was weak and unable to stand or walk,” the guard reported. “The flight crew ... rendered aid to the patient as the aircraft flew to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.”

It took just over 20 minutes to arrive at the medical center, officials said. The condition of the hiker was not released.

The Appalachian Trail is a ”2,180+ mile long public footpath” through the Appalachian Mountains, with different sections managed by the National Park Service and Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosts about 71 miles of the trail, including its highest point, Clingmans Dome, according to Greatsmokies.com.

This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 4:37 AM with the headline "Hiker ‘unable to stand’ is hoisted off Appalachian Trail by rescuers in Tennessee."