SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — The Tennessee National Guard rescued two hikers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on May 31, a release said.
According to the report, flight crews from the Tennessee Army National Guard performed two air evacuation missions for hikers suffering from "medical emergencies" within the park.
Shortly after 2 p.m., the National Guard and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency received a report of a hiker suffering from respiratory distress and needing medical assistance. The National Guard said the hiker was in a remote area near Mount LeConte Lodge.
"Fifteen minutes after the mission was approved, the aircraft departed Joint Base McGhee-Tyson and flew directly to Mount LeConte Lodge," the National Guard said.
Around 14 minutes after the mission was launched, crews arrived at the lodge and quickly found the hiker along with the park rangers who were administering first aid, according to the release.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the hiker was then brought up into the helicopter along with his wife and flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, the National Guard said.
Later, at around 7 p.m., the National Guard received another report of a hiker in possible cardiac distress along the Alum Cave Trails.
"Fifteen minutes after launching, the aircraft arrived along the trail where the crew radioed park rangers who were rendering aid to the hike," the release said. "The rangers then initiated smoke canisters to identify their location to the aircraft, which flew to an area very close to the site where they could safely hoist to."
The patient was then hoisted into the helicopter and also taken to UT Medical Center for further treatment. The report said the entire rescue mission took less than an hour.