Injured Hiker Hoisted From Appalachian Trail In Virginia
At approximately 11:09am on Sunday, November 9th, Med Flight-1 with the Virginia State Police was alerted to an injured hiker in a remote location along the Appalachian Trail. The hiker was unable to self-extricate from the area near Pedlar in Amherst County.
Med Flight-1 responded, taking off from its base at Chesterfield County Airport at 11:32am and arriving at the location about 54 minutes later. The crew decided to use a hoist rescue, with Virginia Department of Forestry helping to clear a 40-by-60 foot opening in the tree canopy.
Amherst EMS personnel on the ground transported the hiker to the hoist location, and Rescue Technician Anja Hamilton from Chesterfield County Fire and EMS was lowered onto the ground.
Despite the blowing winds and scattered showers, Hamilton was able to secure the patient before they were flown to Lynchburg General Hospital at about 2:20pm. The crew then returned to the scene and picked up Hamilton, who had hiked out of the area with the local rescue crew.
This marks Med Flight-1’s fifth hoist rescue in 2025. The group exists as a joint effort between Virginia State Police pilots and paramedics from the Chesterfield County Fire and EMS Department.
Leave a Reply