Fire, rescue personnel have busy weekend
Saturday and Sunday was a busy time for local fire and rescue personnel, as they were involved in a number of missions.
Early Saturday afternoon, the Graham County 911 dispatcher received a call from a hiker who had become ill in the Wolf Laurel section of Big Santeetlah. Graham County Rescue Squad members Jeff Millsaps and John Odom responded, only to find the road blocked by a large tree near Sand Creek. After clearing the tree, the hiker was located near the end of Wolf Laurel Road. He and a friend had started up the trail when he became sick and passed out for a few minutes. After this happened, he decided he should not go any farther into the woods and called for help.
Odom reached the two men and transported them to their vehicle at Joyce Kilmer Forest.
Shortly thereafter, Tory Lynnes, Chris Griggs, Heath Emmons, and Ben Spatola – firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service in Graham County – were sent to help fight a wildfire in the Boiling Springs section of Cherokee County.
There were two more calls concerning hikers on Sunday. A couple hiking in the Joyce Kilmer Forest were reported overdue by relatives, but were found safe by Millsaps.
That same evening, Monroe County, Tenn. requested assistance in locating a lost hiker that they had been searching for all day in the Citico Creek area. Lynnes, Millsaps and Odom responded to this call.
The hiker was located by Monroe County rescuers around 8:45 p.m. Sunday night.