Sleeping Camper Killed By Fallen Tree In GA Wilderness

FANNIN COUNTY, GA — A man died during a weekend camping trip after a large tree fell where four men were sleeping in hammocks at Panther Creek Falls, emergency management officials stated.

The deadly incident happened around 2:15 a.m. Saturday at Panther Creek in the Cohutta Wilderness of the Chattahoochee National Forest, the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency reported. The area is near Blue Ridge, close to the Tennessee border.

Authorities spent five hours searching for the campers in the remote area after a father and daughter heard cries for help and went to support the group, emergency management officials stated. The father and daughter stayed with the campers until authorities arrived.

One of the men was unresponsive and was trapped underneath the tree, emergency management officials said. The person was confirmed dead, and emergency management officials said another person suffered minor injuries but was in stable condition.

The man who was injured was taken to Blue Ridge Medical Center for treatment, emergency management officials stated.

The two men who were uninjured hiked with the father and daughter and were taken back to their car, emergency management officials stated.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the young men involved in this tragic and unforeseeable accident," emergency management officials stated in a Facebook post.

The person who died was not identified, pending next-of-kin notification.

Fannin EMA released video footage of the rescue, with one of the four videos showing a man being hoisted into the air, waving as he is raised.

The five-hour search and rescue encompassed a bout with rugged terrain and miles-long hiking. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources used a helicopter to remove the man who died and the man who was injured from the scene.

"The terrain surrounding Panther Creek Falls is rugged, marked by steep inclines, dense forest cover, and extremely limited access," said the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency on Facebook. "The campsite was located approximately 4.2 miles from the nearest trailhead, requiring (search and rescue) teams to hike over 8.4 miles round-trip through difficult terrain, much of it in the dark.

"Given the complexity of the rescue and the injured patient’s remote location, air support was requested. ... This incident underscores the importance of interagency coordination and the exceptional capability of our emergency response teams to operate in remote, high-risk environments," the agency said.