Raleigh firefighters rescue man injured in 50-foot fall on Grandfather Mountain

Two Raleigh firefighters helped rescue a man who fell 50 feet off a trail Saturday afternoon on Grandfather Mountain.

2026-08-16

The man was hiking the Profile Trail when he slipped and fell, according to Avery County Emergency Management.

Captain Daniel Richardson and Senior Firefighter Jason Ceisner of the Raleigh Fire Department assisted in the rescue. Both are members of the North Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, according to North Carolina Task Force 8 Urban Search and Rescue.

Photos released by rescue officials show crews using a helicopter to hoist the injured hiker from the mountain.

The firefighters and members of North Carolina State Highway Patrol airlifted the man to a nearby landing zone. He was then flown to Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee.

Officials said he was airlifted because of the seriousness of his fall. An update on his condition was not available.

Crews from several agencies assisted, including Avery County EMS, Avery County Emergency Management, Linville-Central Rescue Squad, North Carolina Mountain Rescue Team 1 and Grandfather Mountain State Park.