A hiker was rescued on Friday after breaking her leg on a trail 13 miles into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a multi-agency effort that included the Tennessee Highway Patrol's (THP) strike team. The patient, whose identity remains undisclosed, was initially aided by two EMT-certified rangers who stayed overnight, as stated in a THP news release cited by WVLT News.
The incident coincided with adverse weather conditions, which necessitated that the injured hiker be sheltered overnight at LeConte Lodge, located approximately a half-mile from the Alum Cave Trailhead, as reported by WBIR. The following day, once conditions had improved, rescue teams were able to carefully navigate the rain-soaked terrain and carry the injured woman down the mountain.
According to WATE's coverage, rangers paired with the Knoxville Strike Team from THP managed the precarious extraction, transporting the hiker by stretcher to LeConte Medical Center in Pigeon Forge. "This is a coordinated mission between state and federal partners to get help to someone in need deep in the backcountry," quoted directly from a statement by THP.
In an ironic twist of fate, just two days before the real-life rescue, THP troopers and National Park Service rangers had conducted training for similar emergency scenarios. The training seemed to have been a timely preparation for the real incident, aiding in the efficient execution of the rescue operation that troopers and rangers carried the injured hiker, who had to spend a night at LeConte Lodge, through rugged terrain due to weather conditions. The hiker is reported to be in stable condition at the medical facility.
