A popular television news anchor from Georgia fell into a ravine while hiking – prompting rescue workers to undertake a daring rescue operation.
Carol Sbarge, who worked for WSB TV for nearly three decades, went hiking in the Chattahoochee National Forest with her boyfriend in September.
Her peaceful hike turned disastrous when she fell down a steep ravine.
“As I was walking along the path, my foot somehow hit a stone. And before I knew it, I just fell down that ravine,” she told WSB-TV.
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Carol Sbarge fell into a ravine while hiking with her boyfriend. (Carol Sbarge via Instagram)
She broke her ankle in three places in the fall, she told the outlet.
Her friend initially tried – unsuccessfully – to call emergency services, but the remote location prevented the call from going through.
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Ultimately, another hiker came to her rescue and left the remote trail to contact Habersham County Emergency Medical Services.
FILE – A lone hiker trudges through Unicoi Gap on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)
The crews arrived I arrived at the scene after hiking two miles on the trail and was able to quickly assess the steep slope where Sbarge had fallen. The local outlet reported that they used ropes and a helicopter to slowly lift her out of the gorge.
Officials said it was the first time they had conducted an aerial evacuation of a hiker in Panther Creek Falls.
Sbarge was airlifted and flown 3.6 miles before being taken to a local hospital. She told the local outlet that she needed eight screws and a metal plate in her ankle.
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“They are just special people. You are putting yourself at risk. You know, they don’t know every day the danger they’re going to face,” Sbarge told the outlet, speaking about the emergency responders.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Chattahoochee National Forest and Habersham County Emergency Medical Services for comment.
