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Tragic Incident in Chattahoochee National Forest: Tree Fall Fatally Injures Camper
FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. – A man tragically died in the Cohutta Wilderness area of the Chattahoochee National Forest in north Georgia on Saturday after a tree collapsed onto his campsite. The incident occurred while the victim was sleeping in a hammock.
Camping Trip Turns Deadly Near Panther Creek Falls
According to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, the unfortunate event unfolded while four individuals were on a camping excursion in the vicinity of Panther Creek Falls, a popular destination within the Chattahoochee National Forest.
The agency reported that the group was resting in hammocks when a tree fell in the early hours of Saturday, trapping one of the campers.
Responding to the sound of the tree falling and subsequent calls for assistance, a father and daughter who were camping nearby immediately rushed to the scene to offer aid, officials stated.
Delayed Rescue Operation in Remote Wilderness
Authorities indicated that due to the remote location of the campsite within the Cohutta Wilderness, it took emergency response teams approximately five hours to reach the area. The initial emergency call was received at 2:15 a.m.

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Upon arrival at the scene, first responders discovered one man deceased and another individual with minor injuries.
The father and daughter who had initially provided assistance accompanied the two uninjured members of the camping party as they hiked out of the wilderness area and back to their vehicle.
Recognizing the need for rapid evacuation, first responders requested air support to facilitate the removal of the injured hiker from the challenging terrain of the Chattahoochee National Forest, the Fannin County EMA confirmed.
Air Evacuation and Hospitalization
A helicopter successfully extracted the injured camper from the wooded location and transported him to a designated staging area. There, he received initial stabilization before being transported to a medical facility via ambulance for further treatment.
Video footage released by the Fannin County EMA documented the aerial extraction of the injured hiker from the forested region by helicopter.
Air Support Crucial for Wilderness Rescue
The Fannin County EMA emphasized that air support played a vital role in the rescue operation, significantly decreasing the time required to evacuate the injured hiker from the Cohutta Wilderness.
Tragically, the deceased camper was also airlifted from the remote location by helicopter following the incident in the Chattahoochee National Forest.