A hiker and his dog were airlifted to safety Saturday after spending about 24 hours stranded in the Sampson Mountain Wilderness in Greene County.
Alexander Quattrin and his German shepherd Jack set out Friday afternoon to hike a trail in the area above Horse Creek Park known as the Sampson Mountain Wilderness. The roughly 10,000-acre tract lies primarily in Greene County, with portions extending into Washington and Unicoi counties. Wilderness areas are federally protected to remain in their natural state, prohibiting motorized travel and limiting trail development.
Quattrin began his hike on the Squibb Creek Trail, which follows the creek about two miles to a large waterfall. The route connects with the Turkeypen Cove and Middle Springs Ridge trails, forming a loop back to the trailhead. At some point Friday afternoon, however, he left the marked trail.
While attempting to find his way out, Quattrin descended a steep cliff, dropping an estimated 600 feet before reaching a point where he could neither continue downward nor climb back up.
He called 911 around 5 p.m. Friday, prompting a multi-agency response. Greene County Sheriff Wesley Holt, Deputy Kenny Ball and members of the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad were among those who responded. Captain Janetha Gregory coordinated operations while also joining crews in the field.
A third group of Rescue Squad volunteers begin their ascent in darkness Friday night.
Using GPS data from Quattrin’s cellphone, personnel narrowed his location. Gabbie Holt, Wesley Miller and Zach Dunbar approached from above, attempting to descend to his position. At the same time, Sheriff Holt, Deputy Ball and Squadsman Cody Trammell worked their way up from the base of the mountain. Others, including John Ball, Stephen VanSwaringen and Dale Dodds, staffed the command post.
Sheriff Holt said Deputy Ball managed to descend several hundred feet into the ravine, but encountered terrain too steep and hazardous to continue. He also struggled to climb back out. Sheriff Holt made his way to the base of Squibb Creek Falls but was unable to establish voice contact despite repeated calls and whistle blasts.
Quattrin remained in communication with central dispatch and rescuers overnight and was advised to stay in place. He complied but reported he never clearly heard search teams calling for him, though he believed he may have faintly heard a voice at one point.
Meanwhile, the three-person team descending from above – Miller, Holt, and Dunbar – continued working through dense vegetation and steep terrain toward the coordinates. Around 3 a.m., with conditions worsening and batteries running low on radios, phones and lights, they halted and sheltered in place. Temperatures dipped into the upper 40s, and members said they got little rest.
At daybreak, they resumed their descent, eventually reaching the bottom of the ravine along Squibb Creek. They followed the waterway downstream, again calling out and using whistles, but were unable to locate him.
The terrain in the Squibb Creek drainage can be treacherous. Trails generally follow the ridgelines, but between them lies a deep ravine with near-vertical walls and dense rhododendron thickets that are nearly impassable. Quattrin said his route was often dictated by the terrain and vegetation rather than the direction he intended to travel. At the bottom, where Squibb Creek flows, slick rock faces and steep drops make movement difficult and, in many places, impossible without ropes and proper climbing equipment.
Throughout the night and into Saturday morning, coordination continued below the mountain. EMA Director Heather Sipe began working to secure aerial support for a possible rescue. Helicopter crews with Highlands Air Rescue conducted multiple flyovers but were limited by dense tree cover, which restricted visibility to only small openings.
Local personnel, exhausted after climbing and searching through the night, were rotated out as fresh volunteers took their place. Crews had covered roughly a dozen miles, climbed hundreds of feet in elevation, pushed through dense brambles and tangled rhododendron, and waded through creeks . . . all in the dark.
Additional support arrived in more local squad volunteers, and from Kingsport Fire and Rescue and Washington County EMS, bringing all-terrain vehicles, chainsaws and specialized equipment.
Ground teams formed multiple search groups, some ascending from the base while others used UTVs along Horse Creek Road to approach from above. Efforts focused on the steep ravine carved by Squibb Creek, with teams beginning their ascent around 9 a.m.
As the overnight crews exited the mountain, they reported that their route should have taken them close to Quattrin’s last known coordinates. Their path also covered the most likely descent route he could have taken. Attention then shifted to higher elevations amid concern that cold overnight conditions may have impaired his ability to respond.
By midday, additional crews pushed upward, searching for old logging roads or access points. At approximately 1 p.m., radio traffic confirmed Quattrin and his dog had been located and were uninjured.
However, extracting them presented a new challenge. The terrain made both ascent and descent unsafe for the victim, his dog, and for the rescuers.
Sipe was already working Tennessee Emergency Management Agency – East Region to request aerial assistance. A hoist and thermal imaging would help in the search and rescue, and given the terrain and victims, certain equipment would be needed. The Tennessee Air National Guard, based at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, handles complex mountain recoveries under strict criteria, including weather, terrain and risk factors. Officials determined conditions met those requirements. Quattrin had spent the night exposed in temperatures in the upper 40s, wearing only shorts, a T-shirt and shoes, and was unable to self-extricate. His body temperature had begun to drop. The forecast for the next night included a frost advisory, with lows in the 30s, making another night in the wilderness unsafe.
A Black Hawk helicopter was dispatched from Knoxville and reached the Horse Creek area quickly. After identifying a suitable opening in the canopy and contending with increasing winds, the aircraft hovered over the site and lowered a hoist line, lifting all Quattrin, his dog, and the two rescue climbers aboard.
They were flown to a landing zone behind the Farmer’s Daughter, where the Nolichuckey Volunteer Fire Department had established operations. Aircrew members had given Quattrin and IV of fluids when he was brought onboard, and at the landing zone helped him off the helicopter. They then returned to carry his dog, Jack, back to his master’s side.
At the landing zone, Greene County EMS paramedics Easton Keeton and Landon Webb evaluated Quattrin, who appeared in good condition given the circumstances. Jack was also checked and given water and food. After evaluation, Quattrin was transported back to the trailhead, where nearly 30 volunteers and personnel had gathered while breaking down operations. A fire had been maintained for warmth, and Quattrin joined the group as he worked to raise his body temperature, which he said had dropped to around 95 degrees.
Those involved conducted an informal debrief at the scene, reviewing the operation and discussing the circumstances of the incident. Quattrin thanked those involved and asked for a list of participating agencies so he could express his appreciation.
Danny Ricker led a prayer of thanks for the safe outcome. He and his wife, Shannon, also provided logistical support, bringing meals for personnel and arranging a mobile restroom trailer.
Agencies involved included the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad, Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Greene County Central Dispatch, Greene County EMA, Greene County EMS, the Nolichuckey Volunteer Fire Department, Washington County/Johnson City EMS, Kingsport Fire Department, the Kingsport Technical Rescue Team, and the U.S. Forest Service.
