Two People Rescued off Mt. Katahdin, Millinocket, Maine

A big shout out to the first responders who brought two people off Mt. Katahdin Tuesday. The rescues happened about the same time, but were not related. 

A 36-year-old Georgia woman was on the Abol Trail with an injury to her lower body. She could not make it down and was airlifted by helicopter.

The other incident involved a 35-year-old Portland, Maine man on the Dudley Trail. He actually fell between large rocks and could not get out for hours with a dislocated shoulder. A person hiking with him had to go alert rescuers to help get him out.

The same helicopter picked both hikers up - first getting the woman and dropping her off to be treated and then flying out to get the man stuck between the rocks.

You have to give so much credit to the rescuers who help hikers off mountains in Maine. Is it happening more than usual or does it just seem that way?

Either way, it’s impressive to read about the rescues. It almost always involves a helicopter coming in close with a cord to pull people to safety. It also involves crews on the ground problem solving and locating someone in distress.

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You have to really consider the perils of climbing some of the more difficult trails and mountains. It takes skill to get up the ascent - and you have to remember, you have to come back down (which can oftentimes be more challenging).

It’s good to know our teams in Maine are so advanced when it comes to mountain rescues, but you don’t want that kind of thing happening to you. Be careful when climbing and know your limits.