Fontana Dam – Tory Lynnes and Larry Crisp of Graham County Fire and Rescue assisted the Swain County Rescue Squad and National Park Service on a July 20 mission in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Graham County 911 Center received a request from Swain County around 10 p.m., Sunday to provide mutual assistance in the carryout of a downed woman on the Appalachian Trail, below the Shuckstack Fire Lookout.
An unidentified 48-year-old woman was discovered lying on the trail by two other female hikers.
She appeared to be suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, and told the ladies that she had been down for most of the day.
The woman stated that she been hiking for six days.
Rescuers reached the woman around 1:30 a.m., Monday with a basket stretcher.
She was brought out of the woods to the trailhead near Fontana Dam, and transported to Swain County Community Hospital by Graham County EMS.