Spring Break
Park safety heightened after alumna murder
MERCEDES PARHAM
Issue date: 1/13/09 Section: News
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Meredith Emerson, a 24-year-old former University student noted for her academic endeavors and love for the outdoors, disappeared from Blood Mountain Trail in Blairsville on New Year's Day 2008.
Six days after friends and family began searching for the missing hiker and her case garnered national attention, her body was recovered in the mountains of North Georgia on Jan. 7, 2008.
A drifter, Gary Michael Hilton, later plead guilty to kidnapping and murdering Emerson. He is serving a life term and was extradited to Florida for the murder of a nurse.
Since Emerson's death, efforts have been made to increase hiker awareness. North Georgia and Athens area parks and recreation centers have followed the trend.
Jerry Brown, lodge manager at Unicoi State Park in Helen, said the park began using GPS locators after Emerson's death. The park is close to Blood Mountain, which is where Emerson disappeared.
"We have 24-hour security," he said. "We have law enforcement that makes rounds every day."
He also said the park now has "first responders" on property that are trained for emergency medical services.
Changes were also made in the park's administrative duties.
"We've developed a safety committee," Brown said. "They review any safety concerns and come up with action plans."
Other parks focus on preparing hikers prior to their trips.
"We encourage people to go with other people and leave an itinerary with someone," said David Foot, manager of Vogel State Park, which is on the Blood Mountain trail. He said the park encourages hikers to carry a survival kit and park officials work with forest services to monitor the trail.
Despite heightened fears and concerns, Vogel has seen an increase in hikers.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 4
Wow
posted 1/13/09 @ 9:21 AM EST
I plead with you-- "plead" is not the past tense of anything! You have two choices there and the R&B keeps picking a third that doesn't work. Stop doing this!
just for reference
posted 1/13/09 @ 6:32 PM EST
.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage provides the following information on the past tense forms of plead:
Plead belongs to the same class of verbs as bleed, lead, speed, read, and feed, and like them it has a past and past participle with a short vowel spelled pled or sometimes plead. (Continued…)
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