Two hikers stranded in Big Cottonwood Canyon near Mary's Lake were helped down by search and rescue teams from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday.

Salt Lake County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Don Hutson said an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl climbed into a precarious situation and called for help around 1:35 p.m.

"They were hiking on relatively technical rocks, and she slipped head-first down a mountain," Hutson said. "Right before she goes off the edge of the cliff, she clips on to some roots or rocks."

Hutson said he didn't know the dimensions of the cliff, but it was "quite steep and quite big."

The girl said she thought she was dead and called the scare a life-changing experience, Hutson said.

The pair was helped off the cliff by search and rescue teams, and they refused any medical attention.