A 50-year-old female hiker was rescued Saturday by Marion County Fire Rescue and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
At 3:40 p.m. Saturday, 911 dispatchers received a call from a hiker who advised she had stepped off the Ross Prairie Trail near the Ross Prairie Campground (10660 Southwest Highway 200 in Dunnellon) and was lost. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office sent-up its helicopter, AIR1, and assisted MCFR firefighters in finding and rescuing the woman. Guided by AIR1, firefighters entered the trail on ATVs, located the hiker and brought her back to safety. Approximately 15 firefighters and command staff worked together to find the hiker, who was not injured.