Cheoah – The Graham County and Stecoah rescue squads were joined by the Monroe County, Tenn. Rescue Squad and members of the U.S. Forest Service on Tuesday, July 21, in response to a 5 p.m. call from a hiker needing assistance in the Slickrock Creek area.
The hiker – a 32-year-old male from Georgia – had started hiking from the Unicoi Crest Overlook the day before. He became dehydrated and disoriented late Tuesday afternoon, but was able to make a 911 call for assistance, advising that he was at the intersection of Fodderstack Trail and Big Stack Trail.
Tory Lynnes, John Odom, Keith Eller, Ted Gibby, Frank Cline and Frank Cline V responded from the North Carolina end, while the Tennessee units started from Farr Gap. The Tennessee searchers found the man around 10 p.m. Tuesday and got him out of the woods sometime after midnight. The searchers from Graham County had reached Harrison Gap before he was found.