KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A man who fell ill while hiking Friday on the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was rescued by a helicopter team.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park received emergency assistance from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and their Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team to rescue a hiker from the Appalachian Trail Friday morning.
Michael Elmore, 74, of Newville, AL was hiking the Appalachian Trail north from Fontana Lake when he began experiencing severe chest pains. The park’s Emergency Communications Center received a notification of the situation and conducted a complex rescue operation.
The rescue took place at approximately 10:28 a.m. on April 22.
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The patient was hoisted into the helicopter through a litter carry out procedure. Elmore was brought to a landing zone and transferred to the Mountain Area Medical Airlift. He was then taken to mission hospital in Asheville, North Carolina for treatment.
