RALEIGH, N.C. - Soldiers from the North Carolina Army National Guard assisted members of the North Carolina Emergency Management's Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team with the rescue of a hiker who became trapped on a 300 foot tall cliff at Margarette Falls in Cherokee National Forest.
Local rescue crews were unable to reach him due to fog and high winds. The hiker, identified as Eric Farris of Ohio, was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and had been trapped on a 25-square-foot ledge for more than 24 hours. He successfully built a fire during the night to stay warm in the mountainous area until rescue crews reached him.
"We had a lot of mountain around us as we hovered about 140 feet above the climber and sent the HART technician down the hoist," said Army Sgt. Kendall Gantt, with the North Carolina Army Guard. "My adrenaline was up and everyone did their jobs."
The mission went smoothly in large part because of a continued partnership between the North Carolina Army Guard and the HART teams.
"Our partnership and training with North Carolina HART is the reason this mission was successful," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Scott Monticelli, with the North Carolina Army Guard. "This was the first time, with the many HART missions I have made, where the weather conditions (high winds and low visibility) made it very challenging."
Farris, the rescued hiker, showed signs of fatigue but no injuries or other health problems, officials said.
This mission is the fifth successful collaboration between the North Carolina Army Guard and HART since July. Teams have also executed missions involving swift water/flood rescue, lost persons and urban/wilderness high angle rescues.