EL PASO, Texas -- What started as a scenic hike at the Franklin Mountain State Park, ended with special rescue efforts after one hiker tumbled more than 30 feet down the mountain. It happened shortly after 11:30 a.m. Monday.

El Paso Fire Department spokesman John Concha said a group of three Fort Bliss soldiers had gone hiking, but came across trouble on the way down. "They started trekking down, and that's when the one that has the most experience lost his footing, and he fell about 30 feet," he said. The men had cell phones on them and called 911.

When the El Paso Fire Department's Combined Search and Rescue Team, or ComSAR, found the 21-year-old man, they said he was conscious, but had seriously injured his shoulder and lacerations to the back of his head. Firefighters said the soldier thought the hike would take no more than an hour, but before they knew it had been three hours.

It took rescuers an hour and a half to bring him down in a stretcher. He was taken to the hospital.

"It does take a lot of preparation removing the patient. Also there's a lot of equipment we have to take up there, and we're off trail. So, it makes it difficult to access the patient," said George Cortez, ComSAR rescuer.

The group had gone about 400 yards off-trail to reach the top of the mountain.

"From the road or ground they think it looks easy, and it's a misconception. When they get up and start walking it's not so bad, but when they start coming back down they realize how much they've walked," said Concha.

Concha said the fire department has performed 20 mountain rescues this year, including hikers and car crashes. As more soldiers and their families start calling El Paso home, he said it's likely the number of mountain rescues will increase.

"They see the beautiful mountains and tend to want to come take a hike. When they come up here they don't realize how treacherous and how long it takes," said Concha.