Trail rescue, wrecks keep White County personnel busy

CLEVELAND – It was a busy weekend for White County emergency personnel.

The weekend was marred by at least four wrecks and a trail rescue.

At around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, rescuers were called to the Raven Cliffs trail off Richard Russell Scenic Highway.

White County Fire Department spokeswoman Ana Newberry said a party of six people were hiking at Raven Cliffs when one member suffered a leg injury.

A member of the group had to walk out and drive to where there was cell service in order to dial 9-1-1.

Personnel from White County Station 6 and the Lee Arrendale State Prison Fire Team hiked in two miles to reach the patient, then placed the patient in a Stokes basket and carried him the two miles out to reach a waiting White County ambulance.

The man was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

Also on Sunday, there was single-motorcycle wreck on Tray Mountain Road. The rider suffered a hand injury and was taken by ambulance to Habersham Medical Center in Demorest for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, Newberry said. White County Station 7 was on scene for about two hours.

At about 6 p.m. Sunday, a single-vehicle wreck involving an overturned vehicle on Highway 255 North at Bean Creek Road shut down the road.

The driver was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

White County Station 3 and Helen Fire Department were on scene at that wreck for about 90 minutes.

The above incidents are in addition to Saturday night’s fatal wreck on Highway 129 South near Jacky Jones Ford and Sunday afternoon’s serious-injury wreck on Wilford Ash Parkway (see separate stories).