On Sunday night, the Maryland State Police dispatched a rescue mission when a hiker and his dog got stuck on a cliff above the Shenandoah River, located in West Virginia. At around 10pm, Maryland State Police Aviation Command’s (MSPAC) Trooper 3 was called to a mountainous, heavily forested area of Harpers Ferry National Park.
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A 27-year-old hiker and his dog, named Angel, were out exploring the Loudon Heights Trail south of Historic Harpers Ferry Lower Town. Unfortunately, they got lost and were unable to find the main trail. The hiker was able to get in touch with rescuers from Jefferson County, West Virginia who were called out to the William L. Wilson Freeway and Chestnut Hill Road area. Rescuers were able to see the hiker’s headlamp and communicate with him from his cellphone, but the steep terrain prevented them from reaching him.
The Maryland State Police sent a helicopter to help the hiker. It hovered around 150 feet above him in the wooded, steep, and rocky area. After the rescue technician assessed the hiker, they decided he did not need medical attention. They then lowered a basket for the hiker and his dog to get in. The hiker and ‘Angel’ were lifted up and flown to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Advanced Training Facility close to Harpers Ferry. An ambulance team examined the hiker before making arrangements for someone to pick him up.