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'I've got a few selfies': First time hiker in good spirits after getting stuck on Signal Hill

A 21-year-old hiker who spent much of his afternoon stuck on Signal Hill has one key piece of advice for people trying to avoid ending up in the same precarious predicament — don't go off the beaten path.

Liam Moxley, who is from New Brunswick and currently on a workterm in St. John's, was pulled to safety by a high angle rescue team on Wednesday afternoon.

"I made my way down the foot trails and found a bunch of other foot trails people have made and got carried away and went a little too far." he said.

He said it was scary at the beginning, but once he knew help was on the way, it was easy to tough out.

"The first 10 minutes was a bit nerve-racking, not knowing what the hell's going on, but after that it was all right."

While others may have been a bit embarrassed after being the subject of a high-stakes rescue, Moxley is laughing it off.

He even used the time he spent waiting for help to take — in true millennial fashion — a few Instagram-worthy photos.

"I've got a few selfies," he said. "Those are going on Facebook when I get home."

Not uncommon for hikers to get stuck

St. John's Regional Fire Department Platoon Chief Robert Fowler, whose team assisted in the rescue, said it's not uncommon for people to get stuck on Signal Hill.

"We come in when it's required," he said.

"The public enjoys walking the trail and all that. [It's] just, unfortunately, sometimes they step up off the trail into areas where they can't get themselves back out of, and that's where we come in."

Fowler echoed the bit of common sense Moxley had to learn the hard way, and has the same simple piece of advice for staying safe: "I would recommend to stay on the trail."