Monday night (May 20, 2024) a UH-60 Blackhawk medical flight crew from the Tennessee National Guard rescued a hiker suffering from a severe illness in a remote part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Shortly before 7pm eastern time, the Tennessee National Guard and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency were notified of a hiker requiring immediate medical assistance. The hiker was located more than 5,000 feet above sea level, at Icewater Spring.
The helicopter arrived on scene and the crew performed a hoist rescue. The hiker arrived at UT Medical Center in Knoxville around 9pm.
The Tennessee Department of Military says the entire operation took about two hours.
(Courtesy Photo provided by TN Dept. of Military. Sgt. 1st Class Cassandra Antes, a paramedic assigned to Task Force Smokey, prepares to be hoisted down to rescue a hiker in need of medical assistance, May 20, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.)
