Thursday March 28th, 2024 11:58AM

DNR cites hikers who became trapped in ‘dangerous’ Tallulah Gorge conditions

Two teen hikers who left the designated area of Tallulah Gorge State Park received citations from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources after necessitating a lengthy rescue Friday night.

“Game wardens were notified that two hikers, ages 17 and 18, illegally walked down to the gorge floor at approximately 6 o’clock last night and got trapped between the river and a rock face,” said Mark McKinnon of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division.

“At the time, the river was flowing at 1,200 cubic feet per second (CFS),” McKinnon said. “DNR stops issuing permits to enter the gorge floor at 50 cfs, so the river was a very dangerous flow rate.”

Tallulah Falls Fire and Rescue, Rabun County Search and Rescue Team, Tallulah Gorge State Park staff, Georgia Emergency Management Agency and DNR Law Enforcement personnel responded.

“Members of the high angle rescue team rappelled down to the hikers’ location and began walking them out around the water,” McKinnon said. “Georgia Power was asked to close the dam for a little while in order to slow the flow rate.”

Emergency personnel assisted the hikers out of the gorge, and DNR rangers cited the pair for being in a restricted area of a state park, McKinnon said.

  • Associated Categories: Homepage, Local/State News
  • Associated Tags: Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Habersham County, Rabun County, dnr, Tallulah Gorge State Park, Tallulah Falls
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