The Newport Plain Talk

COSBY-Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rangers responded to an emergency call this morning from Allied EMS of Cocke County regarding an injured visitor at Hen Wallow Falls off the Gabes Mountain Trail, 2.5 milesfrom the Cosby Campground.

Vadim Liotveyzen, 25, of Gatlinburg who was day hiking with two companions, fell while climbing the wet moss covered rocks of the 95-foot falls. About half way up the falls, he slipped and fell into the stream onto a large rock. Liotveyzen suffered an apparent hip injury and hypothermia.

The Park's Communications Center received the report at 7:26 a.m. and a Park Ranger was immediately dispatched to the scene and was accompanied by two Allied EMS personnel. An additional team of 10 Park employees arrived at the falls around 10 a.m. to assist in the carry out. The victim was treated on site, administered pain medication, and mobilized for transport.

It took the litter team one hour to prepare the patient for litter evacuation and two hours to maneuver the victim over the steep, rocky trail, arriving at the trailhead at 12:51 p.m. where Allied EMS ambulance was waiting to transport Liotveyzen to The University of Tennessee LifeStar air ambulance at the Cosby Post Office temporary landing zone. Liotveyzen was then airlifted to The University of Tennessee Medical Center to be treated for his injuries.

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