Missing Hiker Found Near Suches

SUCHES - Lumpkin County authorites have found a missing hiker in the woods near Suches.

The man in his late 30's has been taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center and is undergoing treatment, Lumpkin County Fire Chief Ed Eggert said.

Authorties extricated the man from the woods near Suches with an Army Helicopter. He was unable to walk at the time and thought he had been bitten by a snake. Eggert said it turned out to be a chigger bite. The man was found dehydrated. His condition is unknown.

The victim was found in a small personal tent, blowing a whistle on the Appalachian trail.

The man left for his hike on Sunday and went missing around 7 p.m. The search centered around the Cooper's Gap area.