Late night rescue: Dog and her human hiker had to be airlifted from treacherous cliffs near Harpers Ferry

(Image credit: Maryland State Police – Aviation Command)

On Tuesday, the Maryland State Police reported on a late-night rescue that went down on Sunday.  Trooper 3 with the Maryland State Police Aviation Command in Frederick responded to a call to rescue a hiker and his dog after they became stranded on a cliff above the Shenandoah River near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. 

Around 10 p.m. that night, a 27-year-old hiker and his dog “Angel” were exploring the area along the Loudon Heights Trail, across the river and south of Historic Harpers Ferry Lower Town, when he became lost and unable to access the main trail.  Rescuers from Jefferson County, West Virginia, were called to the area of William L. Wilson Freeway (US340) and Chestnut Hill Road (WV32).

They were able to speak with the hiker via cellular telephone and could see his headlamp on the cliffs above. However, due to the steep and treacherous terrain, they were unable to safely reach him. Due to the hiker’s precarious position, Jefferson County rescuers called the Maryland State Police to assist with extrication.

Once overhead, the pilots on Trooper 3 hovered the AgustaWestland AW-139 helicopter nearly 150 feet above, while a Trooper/Rescue Technician was lowered into a very small and challenging opening in a heavily-wooded, steep and rocky area.

The Trooper/Rescue Technician made contact with the hiker and determined he did not require any medical care. A rescue basket was then lowered to the waiting Trooper/Rescue Technician and victim. The Trooper/Rescue Technician assisted the hiker and his dog into a rescue basket and they were hoisted to the hovering aircraft.

Once the hiker and his dog were secured into the cabin of the AW-139 by the Trooper/Crew Chief, the Trooper/Rescue Technician was hoisted to the aircraft.

The uninjured hiker and his dog were flown to the helipad at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Advanced Training Facility near Harpers Ferry, where a waiting ambulance crew evaluated the hiker and coordinated arrangements for a friend to pick him up. The photo of the rescued dog, “Angel,” was taken while the owner was being evaluated by the ambulance crew on the ground.

The name of the human hiker was not revealed.

(Source and images:  Maryland State Police – Aviation Command)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today   /   Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram