Appalachian Trail hiker injured after falling on pickaxe

SALISBURY, Conn. (AP) - Rescue workers carried a man more than a mile out of the woods to an awaiting medical helicopter after he fell and injured his head on a pickaxe on the Appalachian Trail in Salisbury.

Authorities say the man was doing maintenance along the trail for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy on Thursday afternoon when he tripped and hit his head on the pickaxe.

The man's name hasn't been released and it's not clear how serious his injuries are. He was flown to a hospital.

Firefighters from area departments responded and nearly two dozen volunteers went into the woods. Officials brought an ATV, but didn't want to risk injuring the man further with a bumpy ride on the vehicle. So they carried him to the helicopter
.
The rescue operation took three hours.

Read more about this story from our Connecticut sister station, WTNH-TV.