A man was critically injured after falling from the cliffs at one of San Diego’s best-known coastal viewing areas. Video released by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department shows the difficult rescue that followed.
Crews responded shortly after 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, to Pappy’s Point at Sunset Cliffs. Officials said the man had been climbing the face of the cliff when he reportedly fell, struck the rocks below, and landed in the ocean.
An off-duty U.S. Coast Guard member entered the water and kept the injured man afloat. Lifeguards and a rescue boat arrived a short time later.
Crews used a cable-haul system to pull the man from the water and raise him to the road above. He was transported to a hospital with traumatic injuries.
An Off-Duty Coast Guard Member Entered the Water to help
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Footage shared by the fire department shows rescuers lowering a Stokes basket from the top of the cliffs. A rescuer descended alongside the basket while lifeguards surrounded the injured man on a floating stretcher below.
Once the basket reached the water, the group transferred the man into it and prepared him for the lift. Rescue boats and a personal watercraft blocked the entrance to the area while several people watched from above.
The operation continued after sunset. Fire officials said the man was quickly transferred to waiting medics once he reached the road, but they did not provide any further update on his condition.
It Was One of Several Rescues That Week
The fall was one of two rescues at Sunset Cliffs on Tuesday. San Diego NBC affiliate KNSD reported that another man injured his leg near Ladera Street and had to be airlifted to a hospital.
Two days earlier, crews rescued a 17-year-old who was injured after jumping from the cliffs. He was taken to the hospital with a leg injury.
Cliff jumping is illegal in San Diego, and officials have repeatedly warned visitors to remain away from unstable edges. The fire department said jumping or climbing in the area can result in serious injuries or death.