For the second time this year, a child had to be rescued from deep in the woods near Panther Creek Falls after falling from the trail into the water.
Habersham County Emergency Services (HCES) responded to the call just before 1 p.m. Monday, June 1. Initial reports to 911 indicated the 7-year old boy fell approximately 20 feet down an embankment into the creek, according to HCES Director Chad Black.
Personnel from HCES, Habersham Search and Rescue (HabSar), and Lee Arrendale responded to the scene. After pinpointing the injured boy’s location, crews hiked in about an hour on the trail near the falls to rescue him.
The boy was hiking with his mom on the trail when he fell, according to witnesses. Two nurses from Atlanta who also happened to be hiking helped the boy out of the water and back up the embankment. The boy and his mother attempted to hike out of the area but were unable to due to his injuries.
When rescuers reached them, the boy was complaining of neck and back pain and had some abrasions on his arms and face, Black says. Rescuers carried him out on a stretcher. Habersham EMS transported the boy to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in stable condition.
The rescue operation took over three hours from start to finish.
Earlier this year, on March 7, a 10-year-old boy had to be rescued after he slid off the trail into the creek in the same general area. He suffered minor injuries.
