With ample public lands, miles of trails, and a temperate climate, Chattanooga, Tenn., is a popular outdoor recreation destination in the Southeast. Unfortunately, this past weekend, it was also the site of two major search-and-rescue (SAR) operations, both on Signal Mountain.
The first occurred on the morning of March 21, when an off-duty military service member fell in a rocky area. Authorities confirmed that the injuries resulted in the victim’s death after he was transported to a hospital.
The second hiking accident on Signal Mountain occurred later that same day, when a hiker sustained a serious foot injury that made him incapable of extracting himself.
GearJunkie spoke with Amy Maxwell, public relations manager for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (HCOEM), to learn more about these rescues.
The First Incident
On the morning of March 21, two men from Georgia were hiking on the Signal Point Trail toward the top of Signal Mountain, a small peak that rises to 1,047 feet above sea level. The land is part of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, an area managed by the National Park Service (NPS).
According to the HCOEM, the hikers started on the trail at 10:45 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, someone placed a 911 call. One of the hikers, 21, had fallen 200 feet down a bluff, the caller reported.
Maxwell told GJ that the first hiker had lain down on his stomach to get a better view of the area below. The second hiker began to kneel down to do the same when he slipped on a loose rock and fell over the bluff’s embankment.
Emergency services arrived and set up a “roll system” haul to extract the fallen hiker from the mountain. The victim’s name has not been released, but local news outlets reported that he was a member of the U.S. Air Force.
The Second Incident
That same day, another incident occurred nearby. At 6 p.m., a person on the Cumberland Trail near Signal Mountain called 911. The caller reported that another hiker “had sustained a traumatic injury to his ankle.”
A large rock had fallen, apparently crushing the hiker’s foot, making him unable to hike himself out. Maxwell with HCOEM reported that the victim was losing a significant amount of blood, a sign that the rock likely hit a major artery. The friends he was with acted quickly and applied a tourniquet with a belt.
The hiker was only about 1,700 feet from the first incident, in an extremely rocky and uneven area. The terrain was so severe that it took medical personnel until 7:30 to reach the second victim. They assessed the situation and decided that an air evacuation was necessary.
Emergency services called in a National Guard helicopter, which arrived around 9 p.m. and flew them to a local hospital. Maxwell said that he likely had a fractured ankle.
Signal Mountain Hiking Accidents: How Is It?
The rocky, uneven terrain in this part of Tennessee leads to frequent SAR calls in the spring and summer, Maxwell explained. And they often involve people who are simply unprepared.
“Pretty much everyone who has either fallen to their death or has severe injuries are people who do not live here; they’re all out-of-towners,” Maxwell said. “Obviously, they don’t know how rocky and rough the terrain is, they don’t research where they are going, or they’re not prepared. As far as gear, you have people trying to hike in flip flops.”
In 2015, a 20-year-old student died after taking a similar 200-foot fall on Signal Mountain. In 2024, two hikers drowned while trying to cross a creek on nearby Rainbow Lake Trail.
“There are a lot of creeks that are down there. Sometimes they’re full of algae. So, in other words, it becomes very slick, slippery,” Maxwell said.
Falling rock is also a perennial issue in the area. Just one day before these most recent incidents, on Friday, March 20, a woman had to be evacuated after a loose rock fell and struck her on the head at Rainbow Lake.
Maxwell cautioned visitors to bring proper gear and footwear. Be prepared with ample food, water, and layers.
“If you have never been to a trail that you’re going to visit, make sure that you prepare ahead of time,” Maxwell said. “Know what the terrain is going to be like. Make sure you’re dressed for that kind of hike. Make sure you know when it’s daylight and when it’s dark, so that gives you plenty of time to hike out of the woods.”
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