SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO)– A fallen hiker was rescued from Cathedral Spires trail in the Black Hills Thursday.
Custer County Search and Rescue were called to the area, a challenge for the team, according to a Facebook post.
“The location of the patients are usually inaccurate because reporting parties must first get to a location where they have cell service and the GPS location we’re given is not of the actual patient, but the person calling 911,” they wrote.
A Life Flight was immediately dispatched to wait close by while they got the patient out. The rescue team then wheeled the patient down the trail in a wheeled litter. Custer Ambulance transported the patient to Life Flight that landed at the intersection of Sylvan Lake Rd and the Needles Highway, the post said.
Rescue personnel also gave advice to hikers for the future, offering a shorter, potentially safer route.
“The distance to the Cathedral Spires is 1.27 miles if you travel from Little Devil’s Tower parking lot. The distance to the Cathedral Spires from the Cathedral Spires trailhead is only .66 miles but much more treacherous due to the steeper grade and large rocks. If you’re a seasoned hiker in good shape, take the shorter route,”. If you want something not as physically demanding or treacherous, consider going via Little Devil’s Tower trail #4. Even though it’s twice the distance, it’s a much milder grade and your knees will thank you,”.
