Stranded Hikers Recovering At Mission
263 views · Published 10 March 2014 · 2:17 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: WLOS News 13 · 2014 · News & Politics
A group of hikers are lucky to be alive after they nearly froze to death on the Appalachian Trail. They were rescued by the National Guard in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Friday morning.The three hikers were taken to Asheville's Mission Hospital. Responding rangers had stabilized the men in the field with dry clothing, sleeping bags, and shelter. They were treated for hypothermia and possible frostbite. All three were very weak and could not walk. Shawn Hood, Steven White, and Jonathan Dobbins, ages 21 to 32, from Gaffney, South Carolina, had started out from Fontana Dam on January 2nd for a 10 day backpacking trip. They used cell phones to report being cold and wet and needing rescue later that night. The men said they were unable to walk and had no shelter. They tried to keep warm by using a small propane tank as a makeshift heater. The hikers thought the weather report called for rain so they didn't pack any cold weather gear. They say they were shocked when they got stuck in blinding snow and sub-zero temperatures. The men were reported wearing mostly cotton clothing, which provides little or no warmth when wet. The hikers say they learned their lesson and hope other people learn from them too. Despite this whole ordeal, they tell News 13 they plan on trying to hike the Appalachian Trail again.Related Links:Stranded Hikers Airlifted From Smokies _______________ Follow WLOS on social media: WLOS ABC 13 News on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/News13/ WLOS ABC 13 News on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WLOS_13 WLOS ABC 13 News on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wlos_13 Subscribe to WLOS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ABC13Channel/?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to AnchorMOMS, the Podcast: https://wlos.com/news/anchormoms/anchormoms-the-podcast Watch more top local news stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk8Ge6UXHJs&list=PLkVbaoT-aYbIvnEpR0Ct5QQQqYaORUSUH For all of the day’s top local and national news, visit http://www.wlos.com Watch our live newscasts and other live video at https://wlos.com/watch Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 828.684.1340 WLOS ABC 13 News serves the Asheville, NC area and the rest of western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. We keep our audience informed through local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of community events, sports and entertainment programming since 1954.
