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LAWRENCE COUNTY-On September 10, 2025, at approximately 11:54 p.m., Lawrence County Central Dispatch (911) received a call reporting that a male hiker who had gone to the “Big Tree” area of Bankhead National Forest had not returned home and could not be located.
At approximately 2:00 a.m., a deputy located the missing hiker’s vehicle at the Thompson Trailhead, and a coordinated search began at dawn.
The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office Multi-Agency Search and Rescue Team were activated. Approximately two hours after search teams entered the forest, the hiker was located with a compound fracture to the lower leg and a broken femur in the higher thigh. The injuries were a result of a fall from about 20ft. Rescue personnel with advanced medical training immediately began providing care, including establishing an IV line and administering medication. The ALEA Aviation Rescue Helicopter was requested, and the victim was safely hoisted from the forest and flown to a nearby landing zone, where he was transferred to an Air Evac Life Team helicopter for transport to a local hospital.
Sheriff Max Sanders commended the dedication of the responding agencies, noting this was the team’s second major search and rescue mission in the past week.
Agencies involved in this operation included:
• Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office
• Lawrence County Central Dispatch (911)
• Lawrence County EMA
• Winston County EMA
• Franklin County EMA
• Huntsville Cave Rescue
• North Alabama Search Dog Association
• SAR-TEC K-9
• RAT-SAR
• Haleyville Search and Rescue
• Pebble Fire & Rescue
• Lawrence County EMS
• ALEA Aviation Rescue Helicopter
• Air Evac Life Team
• U.S. Forestry Service
Sheriff Max Sanders ~“This rescue highlights what can be accomplished when agencies come together with one mission. The cooperation and commitment shown by everyone involved is something our county can be proud of.”
Media Release/Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department
