HELEN - An injured male hiker had to rescued from the top of Tray Mountain Monday.
White County Public Safety Spokeswoman Ana Newberry said the 9-1-1 dispatch center received the call at 10:30 a.m. According to information received the patient, who suffered a fractured ankle, was 1.5 miles east of the Tray Mountain Shelter.
Personnel from White County Fire, White County EMS, Helen Fire, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Habersham County Fire, and Towns County Fire responded to the call due to the location.
Newberry said Helen Fire and White County EMS made access to the patient by foot around 12:18 p.m.
A DNR helicopter was requested to assist.
DNR rangers stood by at the top of the mountain for a long-line rescue, with another DNR ranger at Unicoi State Park at the landing zone, White County Fire also had personnel at the LZ.
According to Newberry, due to weather conditions that included dangerous thunderstorms popping up during the afternoon, the patient was flown in a rescue basket to Unicoi State Park where White County EMS personnel accepted the patient and transported him by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Approximately 27 public safety personnel responded the call, which ended about 4:15 p.m.