A daring, but successful rescue effort brings a hiker to safety in Fannin County during the past weekend.
Fannin County EMA and Fannin County Fire Department took to social media recently to thank Tri-State Mutual Aid, Georgia DNR, Georgia DNR Aviation, Murray County Rescue Squad, Polk County EMA, West Polk Fire Department, Wolf Creek Fire Department. All listed departments aided Fannin County’s officials by responding to a difficult and extended rescue operation in the Rough Ridge Trail, Beech Bottom Trail, and Jacks River Trail area.
The Fannin County EMA says the initial call came into Fannin County 911 at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026 for an injured hiker in a remote area of the Cohutta Wilderness. Many of those trails are listed as extremely difficult to access. Rescuers needed five hours to reach the hiker, and due to the patient’s condition and location, a decision was made to utilize Georgia DNR Aviation for a helicopter and crew at a nearby clearing, to elevate the patient to a staged medical unit from Polk County EMS.
Video and photo images on the Fannin County EMA social media page shows that the patient was successfully extracted and transferred to EMS care just after 8:00 p.m. Saturday. All emergency personnel made it safely out of the woods and were back in service by 11:00 p.m.
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