Even if you’re trying to get away from the modern world with a hike deep into a nature trail, it helps to have modern technology.
That’s how Cobb Fire and Emergency Services crews were able to locate, rescue and treat a hiker who fell and injured an ankle Friday morning at the Gold Branch Unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.
The multi-agency response included Cobb Fire Station 21 in East Cobb, Cobb County Police Boat 4 and a Roswell Fire and EMS rescue boat.
Nick Danz, a paramedic with Cobb Fire, said the hiker was helped off the trails by rescue workers and escorted to a Metro Ambulance EMS boat along the Chattahoochee River and was triaged there with what he said were minor injuries.
He said the hiker called 911 from a cell phone, but was too far for rescue vehicles to reach, and could not walk back for treatment.
So Cobb Fire used what’s called “Rapid SOS” technology to get GPS (global positioning system) information from the cell phone.
That area of the Gold Branch Unit doesn’t have electronic markers, Danz said, as is the case with Cobb County parks, which have what’s called ELM (Electronic Locator Map) detectors.
Danz said when the hiker’s cell phone coordinates were determined, that information was relayed to a Cobb Fire battalion Chief, who dispatched crews from Station 21 and contacted the other agencies.
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