GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A hiker was seriously hurt after falling about 70 feet on a trail at Crowders Mountain Friday morning, officials said.
The Gastonia Fire Department was called to a backside trail on the mountain just before 8 a.m. A witness told 911 two climbers were hiking up the trail to take pictures when one of them lost their balance and fell down a wall.
Rescuers climbed the mountain and reached the climber, who was carried 100 feet up the wall and rushed to Caromont Regional Medical Center.
The climber has not been identified.
NBC Charlotte obtained the 911 call made by a woman who came upon the scene.
"Hey! We're up here at Crowders Mountain!" the 911 caller told the dispatcher. "An older man fell off of the mountain!"
A hospital representative said the hiker is doing okay.
The incident is a reminder of the dangers of taking photos or selfies in treacherous places. In 2015, a mother of three fell to her death off Crowders after reportedly trying to take a family photo.
Also, a study published last year in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care found over a six-year period, 259 people died while taking selfies.
The United States had the third most deaths of any country, and falls were listed as a top cause of death due to selfies.