BLANCHARD, Maine — Three hikers who had been stranded on a flooded portion of the Appalachian Trail were rescued Thursday morning by a Maine Army National Guard Black Hawk medevac helicopter.
The Maine Warden Service says the three thru-hikers had become stranded on a portion of the trail when the East Branch of the Piscataquis River flooded.
Maine Army National Guard Maj. Nathan Arnold, one of the pilots on the mission, says the Guard was alerted by wardens Wednesday night that there were reports of hikers that had not checked in.
"They updated us this morning that they had found them and they were stranded in the Piscataquis River area on an island due to high water," Arnold says. "It wasn't an island, but it is now, and they couldn't get to them."
Arnold says that the three were brought out using a rescue basket lowered from the chopper.
He says the man and two women who were rescued were wet, chilled and excited to be picked up.
