ACADIA, Maine — A 26-year-old Belfast man slipped while hiking up the Precipice Trail in Acadia Wednesday morning.
Acadia Dispatch received the call around 11:00 a.m. The man started his hike about 9:00 a.m. hiking in from Schooner Head Road. Rangers responded and found the man was stuck on an icy vertical face and wasn’t able to move up or down.
He had wedged himself against a tree to avoid sliding down and did not suffer major injuries.
Due to his location, it was going to be challenging to reach him by foot and would require a full technical rope system to lower him off the vertical face to safety.
Due to the risks to the hiker and rescuers for an extended technical operation in icy terrain, rescuers requested assistance for an aviation mission.
Maine Forest Service was contacted through the state police to conduct a short-haul operation and they transferred the mission to the Maine Air National Guard. The Air National Guard responded and conducted a hoist operation with the Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to evacuate the hiker at 2:45 p.m. He was flown to the Bar Harbor ballfield where he declined medical assistance.
"The Maine National Guard was proud to serve alongside the professionals at Acadia National Park, State Police, Forest Service, and local authorities - together using our training to assist those in need. We’re all very pleased that he appears to be recovering well.” Maj. Gen. Douglas Farnham, The Adjutant General, ME National Guard, said in an email to NEWS CENTER Maine.
It was the man's first time visiting the park and he did not have any type of crampons or traction control devices.
