A North Carolina hiker was airlifted after falling from a ladder near MacRae Peak on Grandfather Mountain over the weekend, triggering a large rescue operation in one of the state’s most dangerous hiking areas.
The fall happened just before 1 p.m. on March 22. Officials said the hiker fell from the last ladder on the climb to MacRae Peak along the Grandfather Trail.
Rescuers from the Linville-Central Rescue Squad responded, along with firefighters, state park staff, EMS, emergency management teams, and mountain rescue crews. Because of the steep terrain, officials also called in the North Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team.
That team used a Black Hawk helicopter for a hoist rescue. The hiker was flown to a landing zone and then transferred to a medical helicopter.
Officials have not yet said how serious the injuries were.
MacRae Peak is along the Grandfather Trail in the Linville area of Avery County, about a mile from the Watauga County line. The hike is widely considered one of the most strenuous and dangerous in the Southeast.
Officials said the rescue showed how important planning and teamwork are in rural mountain emergencies, where multiple agencies often respond to reach patients quickly.
Agencies involved included Linville-Central Rescue Squad, Linville Volunteer Fire Department, Grandfather Mountain State Park, Avery County Emergency Management, North Carolina Emergency Management, Avery County EMS, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, NC Mountain Rescue Team 1, the NC Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, and Highlands Emergency Air Rescue and Transport from Tennessee.
