KINGS COUNTY, N.S. -- Emergency crews responded to a popular hiking destination in Nova Scotia after a woman fell off a cliff while out for a hike Saturday afternoon.

Nova Scotia RCMP say the 26-year-old woman fell off a cliff at Cape Split in Kings County while attempting to rescue her dogs, which had fallen off a smaller cliff shortly beforehand.

RCMP were called to the scene around 1:45 p.m. and were joined by fire services from Canning, Kentville and New Minas, in addition to a military Cormorant helicopter.

The Dartmouth woman was stranded on the side of the cliff for hours while emergency crews attempted to reach her.

“Once the risk assessment was done, it was agreed that the best effort would be to essentially rappel down the cliff and take her all the way to the bottom,” said Cpl. Andrew Joyce.

Cpl. Joyce says the woman landed about one-third of the way down the cliff, which stands approximately 80 meters from top to bottom.

She was eventually brought down from the cliff by a King’s County Rope Rescue Team and taken to the nearest wharf by boat. Once ashore, she was transported to the Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville.

“The severity of her injuries are unknown at this time but considered serious,” said Cpl. Joyce.

RCMP say both dogs were also rescued and were not injured.