Authorities in Georgia have described the “miracle” rescue of a 17-year-old female hiker, who became wedged in rocks after falling 15 metres off a cliff while trying to take a selfie.
Emergency responders from 18 agencies were called to Raven Cliff Falls near the town of Helen just after 5pm on Friday after the teenager plunged from the edge of a hiking trail and became stuck in rocks a third of the way down the falls, Now Habersham reported.
Rescuers located the hiker wedged from the chest down in a crevice after rappelling from the cliff.
The Georgia State Patrol used a helicopter to lower workers from the Cobb County Georgia Search and Rescue team to help with the mission.
After six hours, the rescue workers were able to free the trapped hiker from the rocks and used ropes to lift her to safety.
She suffered only minor bruises and scratches, and was able to walk out of the woodland in the early hours of Saturday morning with assistance from the rescue teams, White County Fire and Emergency Management Agency Battalion Chief Josh Taylor told Now Habersham.
She was then taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. No further details about her condition were available.
Chris Wright, of the Rabun County Technical Rescue Team said the hiker had appeared out of reach at times, and “the situation looked grim”.
He paid tribute to the combined efforts of the many federal, state and local agencies involved in the effort.
“Through grit and determination, a multi-agency team from all over the region pulled off a miracle,” Mr Wright told Now Habersham.
