Hiker rescue at Table Rock

A hiker in distress has been located this morning on a ledge just to the side Table Rock in Pickens County—known as Pumpkintown Rock.  According to Pickens County Emergency Management, the hiker is alert and talking to rescuers—although he is cold and has suffered minor injuries.  Rescuers are planning a rescue with the help of the state’s Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team.  The Greenville County 911 Center received a call at 6:24 last night for a hiker in distress.  But the caller’s dying cell phone battery left officials with limited information, other than he had partially fallen down a slope and was trapped on a ledge.  Pickens and Greenville County Emergency crews began working with the wireless cell phone provider to confirm GPS coordinates.  After several hours of searching, a vehicle was found parked near Table Rock State Park that belonged to the caller.  A Greenville County Sheriff’s Office helicopter used a camera to scan the area.  After narrowing down the hiker’s location, 2 crews began hiking the trails.