Multi State Rescue in Brasstown Falls

Shortly after 3 pm on Wednesday, July 8th, the Oconee 911 received a call reporting an injured hiker at Brasstown Falls. EMS, Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the remote location in the Northwestern section of the county and arrived in just over 10 minutes. They were met in the parking area by other hikers who confirmed that a female had fallen approximately 25 at the lower water falls. Crews hiked in to find the patient, from the Charleston area, and quickly stabilized her injuries. They quickly realized removing the young girl would prove difficult due to the steep terrain and narrow trails. Additional help was requested from Oconee County as well as Rabun County, GA. The agencies worked together to establish several rope systems to aid extracting the injured up the steep terrain. Just over 40 personnel worked for more than 2 hours to complete the rescue. Once back to the parking lot, the female was transported by ground to Oconee Memorial Hospital for non life threatening injuries.

One firefighter did sustain minor injuries during the rescue. He was treated and released from Oconee Memorial as well.