The rescue of a fallen hiker was delayed briefly Tuesday as a powerful thunderstorm swept through Tallulah Gorge. Department of Natural Resources Site Manager Danny Tatum says a 22-year-old man was hiking with some friends when he attempted to climb a rock face, slipped and fell about 10 feet.
When Tatum got the call, he alerted Habersham and Rabun County rescue teams, Tallulah Falls Departments and the DNR helicopter. All the teams responded quickly and in force.
Once they made their way down to the hiker, they found he had a broken leg near his shin. He could not walk. They were preparing to hoist and carry him to the helicopter landing site when a storm swept in. “They had him in the basket on ropes,” Tatum explains. “When you cross that river and the rocks are wet. It’s just really dangerous.”
Rescuers managed to bring him across safely but the helicopter had to wait due to the storm. “Once they hoisted him up to the platform, we had a little break in the rain.” Casey says that break was all they needed to finish the job, “Aviation came back in and took him. It all worked out.”
Tatum says the fallen hiker and six friends had a permit to hike the gorge. He was flown to Gainesville for treatment.
