An injured hiker had to be airlifted to safety after suffering a leg injury on the Appalachian Trail in Maine on Monday night.
The hiker suffered the injury while hiking near East Madrid, Maine on Monday, June 30.
Wardens from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife responded to the scene, along with members of Franklin Search and Rescue and firefighters from Phillips, Kingfield, and Rangeley.
Because of the difficulty of the terrain and with darkness approaching, wardens decided to call Maine Forest Rangers to use a helicopter to airlift the injured hiker.
Rescuers cleared an area to create space that would allow the helicopter to get the hiker.
The helicopter team was able to safely airlift the hiker to an awaiting ambulance crew for transport to a local hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
The remaining rescuers then hiked out and got back to the trailhead just before dark.
