Dramatic video shows firefighters rescuing man who fell 100 feet after cliff collapsed under his feet
SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA: In a hair-raising video, a man is seen being saved by firefighters after falling from a 100-feet ledge that gave way under his feet. The man, who remains unknown, fell off the cliff near Moss Beach in San Mateo on Saturday morning, August 27. Although he was not seriously injured, he was stranded on the edge of the Pacific with no way to return to the mainland. Footage released by Cal Fire revealed how the man was rescued using a rappel after a female passerby overheard him screaming for help.
The victim was hauled up the high cliff with the help of a firefighter who was tied behind him. The rescue personnel used a pulley arrangement made of connecting ropes in order to save the man. Eventually, the victim was able to pull himself up the ledge and speak with the police. Though it is still unknown what state he was in at the time, he appeared to be trembling when he got to the top. Additionally, one of the man's shoes was missing.
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CLIFF RESCUE: The cliff crumbled beneath a man who was walking at dawn in Moss Beach. He fell est. 100 feet & yelled for help. At 8:30am a woman nearby heard his calls. Coastside Fire pulled him to safety within 22 minutes of their arrival. Avoid cliff edges as they are unstable. pic.twitter.com/OCz7W84dra
— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) August 26, 2022
CAL FIRE San Mateo posted the footage on Twitter and asked individuals to avoid steep ledges since they are dangerous. Since many of the beautiful riverside cliffs in California are structurally weak, they often break away. Hence, cliff collapses are frequent in the area.
A similar incident took place in Southern California in May. On a morning trip, a 25-year-old man fell off a 300-foot cliff and died. Three other individuals, who were also on the trip, got hurt when they slipped from the cliff. One of the women from the group tripped and fell off the ledge as she was finding the restroom in the dark at Palos Verdes Estates, which resulted in the tragedy.
Los Angeles native Jerardo Huitzil, 25, passed away at the site. Two other ladies were gravely hurt while frantically trying to find the other lady who had fallen. The two injured women had to be flown from the shore to a nearby clinic. According to Captain Steve Barber of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department, the fourth victim, 25-year-old Vincent Avila, who had minor damage, was able to hike back up from the ground below and call a cop who was walking by.