NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. --  In a scene that plays out every summer, first responders in Niagara County trekked Wednesday onto a hiking trail at Devil's Hole State Park to rescue a stranded hiker.

"He was wearing sandals, which is never a good idea when you're hiking down the gorge," said Lt. Patrick Moriarty with the NYS Park Police.

First responders from agencies including the State Park Police, Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Company, and Niagara County Technical Rescue Team carried an injured hiker from the trail.

"There's been a lot of rain, so it's slippery. He slipped and he hit his head, probably on a rock," said Lt. Moriarty.

Park police say the 66-year-old man is a tourist from New Mexico and possibly unfamiliar with the terrain. They say he ended up 150 yards downriver from the bottom of the staircase that leads to the trail.

"It's about 300 feet to come up here from the bottom of the gorge, and we needed every single manpower to help him up here," said Asst. Chief Alexander Ruckh with the Upper Mountain Volunteer Fire Co.

It's an operation Niagara County crews had recent experience with.

"Saturday night," said Moriarty. "We were down the gorge for four hours - three people that went off the trail." 

Officials say precautions are taken to help avoid incidents. A ranger patrols the park everyday from noon until 8 p.m. to make sure that people are staying on the trails and staying safe. And first responders also take steps to hone their skills.

"I think people are overconfident in their abilities, and that's when they get in trouble. They don't think anything's going to happen until it happens, and then they need help," said Moriarty.

Some we spoke to agreed knowing your limits is important.

"There's several stairways going down, and then it gets pretty rocky," said Judy Mikrut, who was hiking the trail on a visit from Illinois. "We only went halfway down and then we came back up because it gets pretty steep."

As for first responders, some would likely be back at the park later that evening for scheduled training on how to respond to rescue situations just like the one they took part in.