WOLFE COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – The holiday week hasn’t provided a break for the Wolfe County Search and Rescue team which has made three rescues since the day after Christmas.
At about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 29, the team responded to four lost hikers and two dogs who had entered the woods via Osborne Bend Trail (TR#240), and attempted to make a loop on a series of
unofficial trails to connect Eagle’s Point Buttress and the unofficial trail known as Douglas Trail, the rescue group said on a social media post.
However, the group became slightly disoriented when they encountered higher than normal river levels as a result of the recent rains. Via phone, the lost hikers were directed to an alternative route, higher up from the river level and a small rescue team went into the woods to escort them to safety.
Meanwhile, at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, WCSART received two simultaneous calls for lost hikers in the Red River Gorge. Two team members worked with the groups remotely and were able to retrieve a good set of coordinates for each. The first group was located approximately 1.5 miles north of the Rock Bridge Trailhead on Swift Camp Creek Trail. The second group was near Eagle’s Point Buttress in Menifee County.
The group of six on Swift Camp Creek trail had no lights and one member of their party had become separated while attempting to find his way back to the trailhead. A hasty team of four was dispatched to the area to locate the group. As the team arrived on scene, so did the rain. What started as a light drizzle, quickly turned into a heavy downpour, WCSART said on social media.
The group of five that remained together was located along the trail fairly quickly, but the hike back out was slowed by the weather and a female member of the party suffering from a mild asthma attack. EMS
was placed on standby while one of the team’s Wilderness First Responders worked with the woman utilizing the “PR” (Position & Reassurance) of the “PROP” method for mitigating asthma attacks. Her symptoms subsided, EMS was called off, and she was able to continue a slow walk out back to the trailhead, the rescue team explained.
The separated member of their party was also located on the way back out to Rock Bridge Trailhead.
A team member had been working remotely with the second group, who was lost on Eagle’s Point Buttress, but the group was having issues navigating out on their own. A hasty team was deployed to locate the group, however increasingly severe weather slowed their progress. During a milder weather window, the hasty team was able to locate the lost party and bring them back to the trailhead.
Preparation and planning are crucial any time you are visiting a wild area like the Red River Gorge. Plan ahead, and know your route. Come prepared with navigational aids such as a GPS app (like
Gaia GPS) and a paper map and compass. A knowledge on how to use those tools is important as well, WCSART advised.
Basic equipment such as a flashlight or headlamp (amongst other items) should be in your pack EVERY time you head out into the woods. Check out the list of the “Ten Essentials” for a good place to start when packing for your next adventure.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/10essentials.htmAt about 5:45 p.m. Dec. 26, WCSART deployed to a mutual aid request in Menifee County. A hiker, traveling near Indian Staircase, suffered a stumbling fall, resulting in a non-ambulatory injury to her lower
right leg.
During the carry out, WCSART rope rescue technicians constructed low angle belays to aid in the patient’s safe descent, while being carried through steeper sections of trail.
unofficial trails to connect Eagle’s Point Buttress and the unofficial trail known as Douglas Trail, the rescue group said on a social media post.
was placed on standby while one of the team’s Wilderness First Responders worked with the woman utilizing the “PR” (Position & Reassurance) of the “PROP” method for mitigating asthma attacks. Her symptoms subsided, EMS was called off, and she was able to continue a slow walk out back to the trailhead, the rescue team explained.
right leg.
