A hiker found themselves in desperate need of aid in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A flight crew from the Tennessee Army National Guard carried out a high-stakes rescue after being alerted shortly after 3 a.m. The injured hiker was situated in a remote area near Bullhead Trail, south of Gatlinburg, according to an early report from the Tennessee National Guard.

After coordination with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the Task Force Smoky was dispatched from the Joint Base McGhee-Tyson. The team, including pilots Capt. Brandon Rodriguez and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Luke Hargrove, along with crew chief Staff Sgt. Ernest Harlan and flight paramedic Sgt. 1st Class John Sharbel, launched their rescue mission at approximately 4:50 a.m., soaring toward the distressed individual's location.

In under twenty minutes, the National Guard crew spotted the hiker, who by then was receiving first aid from the park rangers of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Staff Sgt. Ernest Harlan acted swiftly, operating the hoist to lower Sgt. 1st Class John Sharbel to the hiker's side for an immediate medical assessment and preparation for aerial transport. The rescue operation progressed efficiently as both the hiker and Sharbel were hoisted back into the hovering Blackhawk for on-flight care.

The rescue operation culminated with the aircraft touching down at the University of Tennessee Medical Center at approximately 5:45 a.m. The rapid transport enabled medical personnel to rush the patient into the emergency room for treatment, proving the critical nature of the aeromedical team's role in a successful rescue. "Once the patient was safely in the care of medical professionals, the aircraft returned to Louisville and landed just before 6:15 a.m.," a statement obtained by the Tennessee National Guard conveyed.