PACIFICA — A man who stranded himself while climbing a cliff wall at Mori Point was rescued by a California Highway Patrol helicopter unit that hoisted him to safety Monday afternoon, authorities said.
The unidentified man got stuck on a sheer cliff wall around 3:40 p.m. after climbing about 75 feet up from the beach, with about 300 feet to go to the top, the CHP said. North County Fire District personnel initially responded to the distress call but deemed the terrain too risky for a traditional rope rescue.
“Access to the man was extremely difficult and hazardous due to the steep terrain and no access points for a rope rescue,” the CHP said in a statement.
The firefighters summoned the CHP H-30 air unit piloted by Officer Mike McAuley and amid high winds and some rain, Officer Shaun Bouyea was lowered to the stranded man. Bouyea put the man in a rescue harness and they were both lifted and taken to a nearby landing zone.
The CHP Golden Gate Division air operations unit, based in Napa, performs periodic rescues throughout the nine Bay Area counties.
Reading this on your phone? Stay up to date with our new, free mobile app. Get it from the Apple app store or the Google Play store.