Dramatic video caught the moment Sunday night when rescuers in California saved a man who had slipped down a cliff and was clinging to its side.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s office posted a video that shows a helicopter lower rescuers who were able to reach the man and hook him up to a cable that lifted him to safety.
One of the rescuers could be heard telling the stranded man, “Don’t let go, man. Don’t let go” as he hooked him up to the cable. He then said, “Grab your crotch when we lift up, OK?” (RELATED: Dramatic Video Shows First Responders On Helicopter Rescuing Driver Who Drove Off Malibu Cliff)
A man fell more than 100 feet down a Northern California cliff and was minutes away from losing his grip and falling into the ocean. https://t.co/NF6ivfQZtJ https://t.co/NF6ivfQZtJ
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) April 2, 2024
As the man is lifted into the air the rescuer says, “I got you brother!”
“The victim was about 40 feet off the water line,” said Jason Golden, Battalion Chief with Southern Marin Fire, according to ABC7 News. “The tide was coming up and he was stuck on the cliff.”
Golden said that the man attempted to climb back up the cliff but couldn’t make it to the top, according to ABC7.
“It was just a much faster operation to use a helicopter. And the individual was starting to lose their grip,” Golden told the outlet. “The rescuer afterward speaking with him said that was one of the most precarious rescues because of how the victim was grabbing on and how quickly they were to letting go.”
The victim had been hiking on the Batter Alexander trail, which is located right next to the ocean, ABC7 reported.
“Unfortunately we lose probably one to two people falling off these cliffs,” Golden said, according to the outlet. “Please be very careful when you get to the cliffs. Don’t go up close to the edge and please don’t try and climb up.”