A man remains stuck in a precarious position on the side of a cliff at Sunset Cliffs, with efforts to rescue him hampered by rising tides, the San Diego Fire Department reported. The individual, who has not been identified, fell into a hole near Orchard and Cable streets and has been trapped from the waist down since yesterday afternoon. According to authorities, the size of the entry point, at a mere 18 inches in diameter, has posed significant challenges to the rescue operation.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) crews and lifeguards first responded to the emergency call at approximately 3:40 p.m. on the previous day. A technical team from the SDFD and members of the Chula Vista Fire Department's Technical Rescue Team (TRT) were the initial responders. As tides began to rise, they were forced to halt the rescue efforts, leaving the man enduring the high waters and cold overnight. "The patient was provided with electrolytes and hot packs and blankets to keep him warm during the night," the SDFD reported on their official incident page.
Assistance was promptly enlisted from a special team of volunteer rescuers from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, arriving early at 4:40 a.m today. The rescue teams have had to wait for the tides to recede to resume their efforts to free the man, with plans to drill and dig around his trapped body. Throughout the ordeal, an engine company stayed with the man, ensuring he was not alone.
Further efforts remained on hold until 9 a.m. as the crews prepared to rotate and begin anew, according to the SDFD's updates. Providing a glimpse of the scene, the SDFD posted that the patient "is still pinned from the waist down," detailing how crews had to stop work because of the tide but managed to create a shelter and provided warming blankets and water for the patient overnight. "Once the tide begins to recede, work will begin again," stated the SDFD's X post confirming the ongoing rescue efforts.
Happening now - @SDLifeguards & firefighters extricating a man who slipped & fell under broken concrete sections on the side of a cliff near Orchard & Cable in Sunset Cliffs area. Patient is stable. #cliffrescue pic.twitter.com/MF4ChL0pkU
— SDFD (@SDFD) December 22, 2023
The situation remains ongoing, and the details surrounding how the man was trapped continue to emerge. The SDFD has not yet issued an update regarding the man's current status or the progress of the day's renewed efforts.
