Lost hiker rescued from ravine by helicopter in Georgia's remote Cohutta Wilderness

A hiker who had gotten lost in Georgia's massive Cohutta Wilderness Area was successfully airlifted to safety following a rescue operation over the weekend, officials say.

On Sunday, the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency said that it received a call about the hiker on Saturday morning, which led to a search that involved the agency's Search and Rescue team as well as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

According to officials, the hiker was found several miles off the trail thousands of feet below the surrounding terrain in a ravine. The DNR officers first made contact with the man shortly after 7 p.m.

Due to the difficult terrain and the hiker's condition, crews decided that carrying him out of the wilderness on foot would not be safe and called for an extraction by helicopter.

"With darkness already setting in and changing weather conditions in the area, most traditional aviation resources were no longer an option," Fannin County EMA wrote on Facebook. "The U.S. Army Camp Merrill helicopter rescue team was able to respond and conduct a nighttime hoist operation, successfully extracting the patient from the ravine and transporting him to a nearby hospital for further treatment."

Following the extraction, the ground crew was able to begin the long hike back, with all personnel out of the woods by 3 a.m. on Sunday.

"This operation was a tremendous example of multiple agencies working together through difficult terrain, darkness, and challenging conditions to bring someone home safely," Fannin County EMA wrote.

Officials have not released the name of the hiker or shared an update on his current condition.