Hiker rescued after she fell more than 40 feet from top of Georgia waterfall

HELEN, Ga. — Rescuers saved a hiker who fell more than 40 feet from the top of a waterfall.

It took more than six hours and the work of 17 departments to get her out.

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White County Fire Services responded around 5:20 p.m. Friday to Raven Cliff Falls in Helen.

Officials said a woman fell 40 to 50 feet down a waterfall and became stuck in a narrow area where the rock faces of the falls come together.

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Around 11:15 p.m., the hiker was freed from the rocks. Rescue workers used rope equipment to lift her back to the top of the falls.

EMS officials say she only had minor injuries and walked down the trail with help from her rescuers. She was safely loaded into an ambulance at 1:30 a.m., six hours after she fell.

“White County Public Safety would like to add a special thank you to the following agencies who assisted in making this rescue mission successful. With their help we were able to obtain the best possible outcome for the patient and rescue personnel,” the department said.

Gainesville Fire Department, which assisted with the rescue, posted on its Facebook page that the hiker was taking a photo when she fell.

However, the hiker’s family told Channel 2′s Tom Regan that she did not have her cellphone at the time and was hiking with friends when she slipped off a rock and fell.

The hiker and her mother said they are grateful to all the departments who assisted in the rescue effort.

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