Maryland State Police rescued a hiker and his dog on Sunday after learning the two were stuck on a cliff above the Shenandoah River in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

The hiker, 27, became disoriented while he and his dog “Angel” were exploring the Loudon Heights Trail and lost their way in the densely wooded area. He was able to contact West Virginia rescue authorities, but they were unable to get to the lost pair due to the steep terrain. 

West Virginia police called on Maryland State Police Aviation Command’s Trooper 3 at around 10 p.m. to assist in extracting the pair. Once it was determined that neither the hiker nor the dog required medical care, technicians lowered a basket for both of them, and they were raised 150 feet into the aircraft. They were flown to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Advanced Training Facility near Harpers Ferry.

Police said that rescues like the one on Sunday are rare. 

The MSPAC has served Maryland for more than 50 years and participates in missions like search and rescue, medevac and disaster assessment. 

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.