A hiker who fell off a cliff in Bedford Friday afternoon has been rescued by firefighters and taken to hospital.

The man, who is in his early 20s, was hiking in the area of Admiral Cove and Eagle Nest when the ground gave way and he fell over the cliff, injuring his ankle, according to Halifax spokesperson Brendan Elliott.

911 calls were made just after 3 p.m. by a friend of the hiker and another woman who heard screams for help.

Four fire station crews arrived at the scene near Snowy Owl Drive. Two firefighters from Station 3 on West Street were able to descend the cliff by rope and rescue the man.

His left ankle was injured and he had superficial cuts.