Kentucky State Police Helicopter Rescue Saves Injured Hiker Near Laurel River Dam

On July 31, an 18‑year‑old male hiker fell into the water below a waterfall near Laurel River Dam in Whitley County, Kentucky, sustaining knee and ankle injuries that left him unable to climb out. Local responders, including the Corbin Fire Department’s high‑angle rope team and the Woodbine Search and Rescue Squad, initially attempted a water rescue, but low water levels forced them to abandon that effort.

Kentucky Emergency Management called the Kentucky State Police Aircraft Support Branch, and the police, together with Kentucky Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1, performed a precision nighttime helicopter hoist to extract the hiker. A paramedic from Georgetown‑Scott County EMS accompanied the flight crew to provide advanced medical care. The patient was flown to Williamsburg‑Whitley County Airport, transferred to Whitley County EMS, and taken to a local hospital for treatment.