Smoky Mountain Journal -Laurel Falls Temporarily Closed Monday As 16-Emergency Responders Rescue 63-Year Old Woman Who Fell Near Park



The Great Smoky Mountain Journal Tuesday, January 01, 2019 03:01 PM

Laurel Falls Temporarily Closed Monday As 16-Emergency Responders Rescue 63-Year Old Woman Who Fell Near Park
Laurel Falls Trail was temporarily closed Monday as crews worked to rescue a 63-year-old woman who fell near Laurel Falls. A spokesperson for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park said that park rangers got the call at around 9:15 a.m. on Monday morning. That's when park rangers and the park's technical rescue team responded to the scene. The woman from Florida had fallen about 40 feet below Laurel Falls. Crews secured her and used a rope and pulley system to lift her back up to the trail. Sixteen emergency responders then carried the injured woman 1.3 miles to the trail head where a waiting ambulance transported her to University of Tennessee Medical Center with multiple injuries. The park's spokesperson said that the woman remained alert throughout the rescue operation. Laurel Falls Trail was closed during the rescue operation but was reopened to the public at 1:15 p.m. on Monday.