4 college students rescued by helicopter atop Red River Gorge rock in Kentucky

WHIO Staff
·1 min read
2

Four college students were rescued by helicopter after being stranded atop Red River Gorge Rock in Kentucky on Monday.

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The students from Asbury University were camping over the weekend. They climbed up without ropes on Sunday but one of the students said it was too snowy to descend safely, according to our news partner WCPO in Cincinnati.

Search teams tried to hike the site but could not due to the snow.

“Anytime you have to hike in [at a rescue] it’s difficult, but when it is 15 degrees and snowy, it ups the ante a lot more,” said Jeremy Urekew, Powell County Search and Rescue.

The helicopter managed to land on a space atop the rock as snow fell.

A helicopter rescue atop a rock at the gorge is extremely rare, Powell County Search and Rescue told WCPO.

Medics treated each student. They were cold but are going to be okay according to WCPO.