A Dutch hiker rescued from Seoraksan after suffering an ankle injury is transferred to paramedics. (Gangwon 119 Special Rescue Team) A Dutch hiker was rescued by helicopter from Seoraksan on Monday after an ankle injury left her stranded in the mountain.Local fire authorities said the 24-year-old hiker called emergency authorities at 7:14 a.m. after injuring her ankle near the Heeungak Shelter on Seoraksan in Inje, Gangwon Province.Unable to access the area by vehicle or land a helicopter, the Gangwon 119 Special Rescue Team carried out an aerial rescue, lowering rescuers from a firefighting helicopter to reach the hiker. She was then hoisted into the aircraft and brought to safety in an operation that took about an hour.After the rescue, paramedics from Inje Fire Station transported her to a nearby hospital for treatment."Mountain rescues are often complicated by difficult terrain, but the swift response of our aerial and mountain rescue teams allowed us to bring the hiker to safety," a fire official said.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
