A female hiker had to be helped off the trail Sunday in Habersham County after getting sick near Panther Creek Falls.
Shortly before 5 p.m. on May 29, a woman called 911 saying she was feeling faint.
“The caller advised she was at the waterfall sitting on the steps and had gotten on the trail thru the interpretive center,” says Habersham County Emergency Services Capt. Matt Ruark.
911 dispatched crews to Tallulah Gorge.
“Crews entered the gorge from the interpretive center. While checking the stairs with no contact, units reached out to the caller and made contact discovering she was on Panther Creek,” Ruark says.
Crews relocated approximately six miles south to the Panther Creek Trail and found the woman several hours later suffering from “heat-related issues.”
At 8:46 p.m. they removed her from the area and Ruark says she refused medical attention.
Hiking safety
When the woman called 911, officials say she kept telling the operator she was at the gorge, but other subjects were saying, Panther Creek.
Crews were able to make direct contact with the woman and have her share her location on the phone to determine the correct location.
This latest incident is another reminder to hikers of the importance of tracking their outdoor locations. It can take crews hours to hike into and out of wilderness areas – even on well-maintained trails. In emergency situations when time is of the essence, the public safety response can be critically delayed if crews respond to the wrong location.
There have been several rescues from Panther Creek Trail in recent years – some people were lost and injured and one woman died.
The trail was closed to hikers for repairs in 2020 after Hurricane Zeta. The trail has since reopened to intermediate and advanced hikers only. The Forest Service says more repairs need to be made to the trail and some bridges before Panther Creek Trail is again safe for all hikers. Those repairs are expected to be completed in late 2023 or early 2024.
