Wolfe County Search & Rescue received a call Aug. 15 at 9:30 PM for a group of nine lost hikers near Indian Staircase in the Red River Gorge.
The group, students from Indiana and Chicago, traveled to Kentucky hoping to watch the sunset from the top of Indian Staircase. Unfortunately, they did not reach their destination before darkness fell and soon became disoriented among the numerous user trails above the staircase.
Thankfully, the group did the right thing—they called for help as soon as they realized they were in trouble.
The hikers texted our team their coordinates, giving us a general location. We then sent a locator link directly to one of their mobile devices, which provided an exact location and allowed our team to pinpoint their position.
WCSAR team members took the shortcut to Adena Arch, hiked around the loop at Frog’s Head, and made their way to the coordinates provided by the group. The hikers were located safely and accounted for.
Because of the extremely dangerous nature of descending Indian Staircase after dark, our team took additional precautions. A 300-foot hand line was established, with team members strategically positioned along the descent to assist and the group safely down to the trail at the bottom.
After a long night, the hikers and WCSAR team members exited the trail at approximately 2 AM that morning.
The students were extremely appreciative of the efforts and even offered to make a donation to Wolfe County Search & Rescue. Their gratitude means a great deal to our members.
Most importantly, this group did exactly what they should have done. They recognized they were in trouble, stopped trying to navigate on their own and called for help.
Indian Staircase and the surrounding trail system can be extremely challenging and dangerous, especially after dark. If you become lost or realize conditions are becoming unsafe, don’t wait—call for help. The sooner search and rescue teams know you are in trouble, the sooner they can get you home safely.
Another successful mission and another nine people safely back home. Great work by all of our WCSART members who answered the call and worked through the night!
