A hike yesterday at Point Reyes National Seashore turned into a cliffside drama when a CHP H-30 helicopter hoisted two female hikers off a steep coastal rock after they became stranded above the beach just south of Pelican Lake. A paramedic carried out a precise one-skid landing to reach them, and both hikers were flown out and transferred to an awaiting ground ambulance for treatment.
According to CHP - Golden Gate Division Air Operations, the H-30 crew spotted the pair on an extremely steep rock formation after Marin County Fire, the National Park Service and Marin Search and Rescue called for air support. The agency’s reel notes that the response began at approximately 1900 hours and that the crew performed another one-skid landing to load both parties. CHP reported that the hikers were then transported to a waiting ground ambulance for further treatment.
Why This Stretch Of Coastline Is Such A Rescue Headache
Pelican Lake sits along the Coast Trail in the southern section of Point Reyes, where the terrain drops sharply from trail level to beaches and rocky coves below. That kind of topography can cut off ground access and turn evacuations into a logistical puzzle. The San Francisco Chronicle guide to Pelican and Bass lakes notes that the trail runs high above the shoreline and can be far from road access, which helps explain why help often has to come from the air instead of the road. Marin County Search and Rescue mission logs likewise show multiple Point Reyes callouts that have required aerial hoists or technical rope work, underscoring why cliffside incidents here frequently turn into helicopter jobs.
What Crews Say About Staying Out Of Trouble
CHP - Golden Gate Division Air Operations used the rescue as a reminder to hikers to prepare for changing coastal weather and to leave enough time to get back before dark, advice that rescuers say can cut down on risky extractions along unstable cliffs. The National Park Service offers similar basics for backcountry and coastal trips, recommending that visitors plan ahead, check current conditions, pack layers and let someone know their route before heading onto more remote stretches of trail. For Point Reyes in particular, park and local agency pages provide the latest on closures and conditions that can affect trip planning.
Marin County Fire, the National Park Service and Marin Search and Rescue worked alongside the CHP air crew during Sunday’s operation. Officials did not release immediate updates on the hikers’ conditions in the reel, and anyone eyeing coastal hikes in the coming days is being urged to keep an eye on the forecast and stick to established trails.
