BANGOR, Maine — A 14-year-old Appalachian Trail hiker from Virginia became the focus of a joint rescue operation involving the Maine Warden Service and the Maine Army National Guard after he injured his leg Wednesday morning on Barren Mountain, southeast of Greenville.
Cpl. John MacDonald of the Maine Warden Service said that the Mclean, Virginia, teen and his party of 12 others were hiking the 100-Mile Wilderness toward Mount Katahdin.
The 100-Mile Wilderness is a section of the Appalachian Trail that runs between Abol Bridge just south of Baxter State Park and Monson.
When wardens received the call for help, the teen and his hiking party were at the Cloud Pond lean-to on Barren Mountain, MacDonald said.
Wardens hiked 4.5 miles to that location, where they found the teen and coordinated with the Maine Army National Guard to bring a Black Hawk helicopter to the area.
The helicopter crew members were able to lower a litter and hoist the teen into the aircraft.
The 14-year-old was flown to C.A. Dean Memorial Hospital in Greenville for treatment of his injury, MacDonald said.