At the end of June, Wolfe County Search & Rescue had an extremely busy day responding to two simultaneous calls.
Our first call took us above Indian Staircase in Menifee County for a hiker suffering from heat exhaustion. Team members used a UTV to gain partial access to the area before hiking the remaining distance to reach the patient.
After an assessment by a team EMT, we determined that a litter carryout was necessary. It’s worth mentioning that team members carried in bags of ice to assist in cooling the heat-stricken hiker. The hiker was carried out and handed off to Menifee EMS at the trailhead for additional care. In total, rescuers covered approximately 6.5 miles during this mission.
As if the heat and rugged terrain weren’t enough, the team was relentlessly attacked by what can only be described as a squadron of ferocious horse flies, and one team member was stung by ground hornets during the carryout.
A second call came in for a lost hiker above a cliff line near Bells Falls. With limited resources available, we requested assistance from Powell County Search & Rescue. A locator link was successfully sent to the hiker, allowing rescuers from both Wolfe County and Powell County teams to pinpoint his location. Team members from both agencies then hiked into this extremely rugged and difficult-to-access area and safely escorted the hiker out, exiting this scene at 2 a.m.
We thank Powell County Search & Rescue for their assistance and partnership during this incident.
