A Rhode Island man was airlifted off Mount Katahdin on Friday.
The man, who was in his 60s, was coming coming down the Hunt Trail with his wife when he fell about 6 feet, suffering several injuries, including “an immobilized lower leg,” according to Baxter State Park officials.
Rangers were alerted of the injury in a 911 call at about 3:30 p.m. and received additional information from other hikers. Rangers called for air assistance from the Maine Army National Guard, stationed in Bangor. And two Rangers set out on foot to meet the couple.
At 7:40 p.m., the guard’s Blackhawk helicopter arrived and lowered a basket to lift the man off the mountain. He was flown to Millinocket Municipal Airport and then transported by ambulance to Millinocket Regional Hospital.
“Visitors are reminded that the opportunity for an air-lift should never be assumed,” park officials said in a news release. “Had the weather, crew availability, or location of the incident been less favorable, litter evacuation from the upper portion of the Hunt Trail to the nearest road may have required 30-40 people and would have taken 24-36 hours to complete.”
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less