Firefighters rescue elderly man after medical emergency in woods

Williamsburg firefighters had to carry an elderly man over half a mile through the woods following a medical incident Thursday afternoon.

Williamsburg Fire Chief James Privett said that a man is in his early 80s was doing some work near a spot where he had a deer stand off Happy Hollow Road when he apparently suffered some kind of heart or asthma related incident.
A friend discovered him and called 911.

Williamsburg Fire and Rescue was notified about 1:15 p.m., and responded to the scene.

About 10 firefighters walked about 1.5 miles into the woods to victim’s location.

Privett said firefighters carried him in a stokes basket for about three-quarters of a mile where Whitley County Emergency Management Director Danny Moses and a Whitley County EMS paramedic were waiting for them with the county’s mule.
The victim was loaded on the back of vehicle with emergency officials, and was transported to a waiting ambulance.

Whitley County EMS transported him to Jellico Community Hospital. He was later flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour.

The Williamsburg Police Department also assisted at the scene.