Amherst County, VA – An injured hiker was rescued from a remote section of the Appalachian Trail Sunday after emergency crews launched a complex airlift operation near Pedlar in Amherst County.
According to the Virginia State Police, Med Flight-1 was notified around 11:09 a.m. on Sunday, November 9, 2025, after the hiker was unable to self-extricate from the rugged terrain. The medical helicopter departed from Chesterfield County Airport at 11:32 a.m., reaching the scene roughly 54 minutes later.
Crews from the Virginia Department of Forestry helped clear a 40-by-60-foot opening in the dense canopy to allow a safe hoist operation. Amherst EMS assisted on the ground as rescue technician Anja Hamilton from Chesterfield County Fire and EMS was lowered through windy and wet conditions to secure the patient.
The injured hiker was airlifted to Lynchburg General Hospital, arriving at 2:20 p.m. No further information on the hiker’s condition has been released.
This operation marked Med Flight-1’s fifth hoist rescue of 2025. The helicopter program is jointly operated by Virginia State Police pilots and paramedics from the Chesterfield County Fire and EMS Department.
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