Two Florida Trail hikers lost in Everglades rescued by helicopter
Two lost hikers were rescued Friday morning from Big Cypress National Preserve.
The Collier County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about the hikers about 8:30 a.m., and the agency dispatched its aviation unit to try to find the men. Big Cypress rangers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue also helped with the search.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the men got lost after trying for several days to navigate a waterlogged section of the Florida Trail, a 1,100-mile National Scenic Trail that starts in the Everglades and ends off Pensacola Beach.
In a 911 call, one of the hikers told a dispatcher he and a friend were supposed to be out on the trail for three days but had been there for seven days.
The man told the dispatcher the water was "abnormally high" and at some points reached their waists.
"There are alligators and water moccasins everywhere," the man said.
The man told the dispatcher they were out of food. They also were out of water, according to the Sheriff's Office. Neither of the men was injured.
The Sheriff's Office found the hikers about 4 miles south of Alligator Alley's mile marker 63. A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue helicopter hoisted the pair to safety.
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