GRAHAM CO., NC (WSPA) – A hiker on the Appalachian Trail was rescued after a medical emergency Friday morning in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
According to park rangers, the 74-year-old hiker from Alabama was experiencing severe chest pains just before 10:30 a.m. while walking the trail north of Fontana Lake.
The North Carolina Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team along with the National Park Serivce, Graham County EMS, Swain County Search and Rescue, and the North Carolina Forest Service responded to conduct the rescue operation.
The hiker was carried by rescuers to a location where he could be taken out by helicopter.
The man was flown to Mission Hospital in Asheville for treatment.