A group of kayakers who got stranded in rough waters in Maryland needed a helicopter to swoop in and rescue them ... and the daring mission is all on video.
Footage shows a Maryland State Police Aviation Command helicopter airlifting four kayakers to safety Sunday after they got trapped in a rocky area of the Potomac River.
The chopper lowered a rescue basket down to the stranded kayakers, then hoisted them back up and took them to safety on the river's shore.
MSPAC says emergency responders from Maryland and Virginia were unable to rescue the kayakers by boat due to swift moving water and rocky terrain ... but the helicopter rescue crew got the job done.
Looks like the rescue mission went off without a hitch ... which isn't always a given ... and MSPAC says the kayakers did NOT require medical attention
Check out the video, it's pretty incredible ... taxpayer dollars hard at work!!!