An injured hiker was rescued in Augusta County on Sunday after the victim was able to successfully text 911.
The dangerous 10-hour rescue in sub-zero wind chills included the deployment of more than 30 personnel from multiple responding agencies, according to an update by Wintergreen Fire & Rescue.
Due to snow and ice on the Blue Ridge Parkway, it was closed to vehicular traffic. As a result, an indirect response route was utilized, nearly doubling the response time.
The incident was first reported to WFR at 5:41 a.m.
The exact location of the victim was not known based on the initial text.
In total, 32 people were deployed on the trail to assist with patient extraction.
An aviation unit was sent from Virginia State Police, but high winds made the hoist rescue impossible. A Blackhawk HART team from Chesterfield also arrived to assist on the scene.
Due to the extreme cold, crews built a fire to warm the patient before beginning the trek out.
The patient was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Participants in the rescue mission
- Wintergreen Squad 1
- Wintergreen Response 61 – Command (Lt Moser)
- Wintergreen Response 62
- Wintergreen Response 171 – ATV- 1
- Wintergreen Response 174 – ATV -2
- Wintergreen Response 63
- Wintergreen Rehab 60
- Wintergreen Chief 61
- Wintergreen admin 1
- Wintergreen dispatch
- NEMS Ambulance 93
- NEMS Response 94
- Montebello Fire Chief 70
- Piney River Fire Salvage 23 – ATV
- Nelson County dispatch
- Nelson County Emergency Management
- Wilson Fire Department Support 196
- Virginia Department of Forestry – Forestry 1
- Augusta County Emergency Management
- Augusta County Fire Battalion 11 / EMS 2
- Virginia Department of Emergency Management – SAR team
- United States Park Police – Ranger
- United Sates Department of Interior – Road maintenance team
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Crystal Graham
