By Margaret Voelzke
Two hikers were rescued yesterday evening after becoming trapped on the cliffs above the Chessie Trail outside Lexington.
Michael Lawrence and his companion were free-climbing the cliffs that run alongside the trail when Lawrence slipped on wet leaves and got stuck on a small ledge 75 feet above the trail. When the trapped hiker’s friend attempted to climb down for help, he also slipped and became stuck.
Firefighters freed Lawrence’s companion quickly, but worked for almost an hour before finally hoisting Lawrence to safety using a harness.
Neither hiker suffered any serious injuries.