Middletown, R.I. -
Two people are safe after Middletown Fire Department rescued them by kayak from the bottom of Purgatory Chasm on Saturday afternoon.
Middletown Police say one man and two women were hiking near the chasm, when one of the women somehow dropped her shoe into the bottom of the chasm.
Purgatory Chasm drops down about 50 feet, before turning into a channel of water, partially surrounded by embankments of sand and dirt.
That's when the 21-year-old man decided to retrieve the shoe, and climbed down into the chasm's depths. He found the shoe, but found himself unable to climb back up. He managed to swim to a sandy part of the chasm, to safety.
One of the women decided to climb down after him and try to help him escape. When she got to the bottom, she found herself also unable to climb back up.
With two hikers trapped at the bottom of the chasm, the remaining hiker dialed 911. Middletown Police arrived on scene, and called in the fire department to assist.
Middletown Fire Department arrived with a kayak, and were able to quickly paddle the two hikers to Second Beach, where rescuers determined that both were uninjured.
