A man injured while hiking at the Kirkmont Center near Zanesfield Tuesday morning had to be rescued from nearly 200 feet down inside a steep gorge.
Firefighters and medics from the Tri-Valley Fire District and the City of Bellefontaine were called to the Kirkmont Center on County Road 10 just before 10 a.m.
According to fire officials, the middle-aged man had been hiking with a group along a creek in the wooded trail area when he suffered a leg injury and could no longer make it out on his own.
First responders made their way down to the man and began treating him, but the terrain made getting him out especially difficult.
Officials said the man was located nearly 200 feet down in the gorge and several hundred yards from the closest point rescue crews could reach using utility terrain vehicles.
Additional manpower and specialized rescue equipment were brought in as crews prepared for a technical rescue operation.
About an hour after the initial 911 call, rescuers began using ropes, pulleys, UTVs, and a Stokes basket to safely remove the injured hiker from the gorge.
Crews used both high-angle and low-angle rescue techniques during the operation.
The rescue took about 90 minutes to complete.
The man was eventually brought out safely and transported by medics to Mary Rutan Hospital for treatment.
Other than the leg injury, officials said he was expected to be okay.
Kirkmont includes 278 acres of wooded hills, ravines, cliffs, ponds, and natural areas.
