Local
Rescuers carry injured hiker half-mile from Linville Falls trail
An injured hiker was taken to a hospital after falling on the recently reopened Plunge Basin Trail near Linville Falls. Rescue crews carried the patient over rugged terrain in a Stokes basket.
BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Rescue crews carried an injured hiker about a half-mile over rugged terrain after a fall on the Plunge Basin Trail near Linville Falls on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.
Burke Rescue and Burke EMS responded to the trail, off the Blue Ridge Parkway, with first responders from Avery County assisting. Crews secured the patient in a Stokes basket and carried them to a waiting transport before the hiker was taken to a nearby hospital.
The trail had recently reopened. Officials had not released information about the extent of the hiker’s injuries.