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View Full Version : Hiker suffers broken leg in Stratton, ME



The Old Fhart
11-26-2005, 20:19
I just caught the end of this news item on Maine WGME TV CH-13 at about 7:15pm and they say rescuers are carrying a hiker who suffered a broken leg out from, I believe, the A.T..

The Old Fhart
11-27-2005, 00:11
WGME TV news at 11pm says rescuers are with the hiker who they plan to airlift out from the A.T. tomorrow morning. No word if it is a day hiker or what. Also no exact location.

Newb
11-27-2005, 11:00
I think the hiker went to the A.T. and was so depressed by the development encroaching it that he broke his OWN leg.

Downunda
11-28-2005, 05:47
Old Fhart...I still think fondly of the trail magic you provided to me and Blaze in "02.

Thanks again!

The Old Fhart
11-30-2005, 19:55
First, Downunda, good to know that you enjoyed the trail magic.

Second, here is a link (http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/2187083.shtml) to a newspaper account of the hiker who broke their leg about 1 mile north of Maine RT-27 (near Cranberry Peak) before the A.T. reaches Horn's Pond.

Cookerhiker
11-30-2005, 20:01
... here is a link (http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/2187083.shtml) to a newspaper account of the hiker who broke their leg about 1 mile north of Maine RT-27 (near Cranberry Peak) before the A.T. reaches Horn's Pond.

Could have been worse I guess - at least it wasn't in the middle of the Bigalows.

Trooper347
11-30-2005, 20:02
Thanks for the link Old Fhart, and a round of applause for the rescue workers. I am relieved to know there are great people like them in case of the unexpected.

Moxie00
11-30-2005, 22:57
The Cranberry Trail is a lightly used trail from Stratton to the AT. Most trail maintance ended around Labor Day and fall storms have washed out trails and brought down many trees. Because of the many blowdowns the rescuers had a nightmare getting to the hiker and getting him out on a stretcher. Trail maintance usually isn't done in the winter because access is difficult. As any of you know who have hiked in Maine the Maine A.T.C. does a whale of a job of trail maintance with all volunteer labor. Come snow melt we will be out there with our chain saws and by Memorial Day the trail will be in great shape. In many cases winter hikers will just make their way around the down trees.

Shutterbug
11-30-2005, 23:51
Why is it when a hiker is rescued, the news report always addresses who pays the cost? They never ask that question when some one gets injured in football, soccer, driving a car, on the job or at home.

What about when the EMT's respond to the guy who had a heart attack because he sat at home in front of the tv instead of getting exercise?

I think it is good that the media reports on hiker injuries so that people will fully understand the risks, but I think the uninformed media distorts the cost to the community of hiking. The health benefits of hiking far out weigh the cost of the occasional rescue operation like was reported here.

Kerosene
12-01-2005, 13:17
Why is it when a hiker is rescued, the news report always addresses who pays the cost? They never ask that question when some one gets injured in football, soccer, driving a car, on the job or at home. This is because taxes and personal insurance cover community-based emergency services but not the extraordinary costs and efforts required to airlift or hump someone out of the deep woods.

I seem to recall someone posting about a state who offered temporary insurance card for backcountry rescue for a few dollars. If it weren't for the administrative overhead of such a program I think it would be a great way to appropriately fund backcountry search & rescue teams.

RedneckRye
12-01-2005, 23:45
Colorado has a backcountry rescue card. I think it is called a CORSAR, although I don't exactly remember what that stands for. When I went out there to do the Colorado Trail in '03, it cost something like $3. I also seem to recall that it was included in the cost of a fishoing or hunting license.