MONSON – A 60-year-old Maryland man was taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center on Thursday after he fell while hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

William Horne of Salsburg, Md., began hiking from Long Pond with another man Thursday morning and proceeded about a mile along the trail when he slipped and fell on a log. After the fall, Horne noticed blood in his urine and called 911 on his cell phone.

Lt. Pat Dorian of the Maine Warden Service said the hikers were not familiar with the area.

Because the area is not equipped with many cell phone towers, it was nearly five hours before the Maine Warden Service and a Blackhawk helicopter from the 112th Air National Guard in Bangor were able to locate Horne.

“Basically we had wardens walk certain parts of the trail until we ran into them,” said Dorian. He said the helicopter later spotted the two hikers and provided the wardens with their exact location.

Horne was taken by helicopter to EMMC where he was listed in fair condition. Emergency personnel said Horne may have a ruptured kidney.