A mother and son were safely guided back to a trail Friday afternoon after losing their way while attempting to hike to Marguerite Falls in southern Greene County.
The two had begun their hike at the Shelton Mission Road trailhead and followed the Bullen Hollow Trail, which branches off from the main path to the waterfalls. Near the falls, they attempted to cut cross-country to reach the 60-foot cascade but found themselves in steep, unsafe terrain.
After descending into a rugged area, the hikers felt they could not continue safely and called 911. Emergency dispatchers were able to obtain their GPS coordinates and establish phone contact with the mother.
Personnel from the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad, Camp Creek Volunteer Fire Department, the Tennessee Division of Forestry, and the U.S. Forest Service responded to assist. Before rescuers arrived, the hikers managed to climb back up the slope to the trail with guidance over the phone. They were then able to walk back down the trail, where they were met by first responders.
Although the pair had not strayed far from the trail, the steep and unforgiving terrain made it unsafe to proceed without assistance.
It isn’t the first time a hiker has gotten into trouble in the area. In December 2013, a man climbing rocks around the falls ended up stuck on a 5-by-5-foot ledge, unable to climb up or down. Wearing only light clothing on the relatively warm winter day, he was forced to spend the night on the ledge before being rescued by helicopter the next morning. And several others have been injured over the years attempting to scale the rocks above the falls only to be swept over the ledge by the fast waters.
Marguerite Falls is 60-foot cascade waterfall. The trail to the falls spans approximately 1.5 miles and climbs more than 1,000 feet in elevation. Rescue personnel advise hikers to stay on marked trails and use caution in the area’s challenging terrain.
