The injured man was the second person to be hurt at Sunset Cliffs this week, according to San Diego fire officials

NEED TO KNOW

• Authorities in California have released footage of the rescue of a man who fell from Sunset Cliffs in San Diego and was critically injured after hitting rocks below
• An off-duty Coast Guard member kept the man afloat until lifeguards and a rescue boat arrived to assist in extricating him from the water
• Fire officials said this was the second person who was injured in the area within a week and warned against dangerous activities at Sunset Cliffs

Authorities in California have released dramatic footage of the moment a critically injured man is rescued from the ocean after falling from a cliff.

On Thursday, July 30, the San Diego Fire Department (SDFD) shared video of the dramatic incident, which took place shortly after 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, at Pappy’s Point in Sunset Cliffs, a popular scenic viewing area in the city.

In the Instagram post, fire officials said the man had been climbing the face of the cliff and “reportedly fell, striking the rocks below.” An off-duty U.S. Coast Guard member then entered the water and kept the man afloat before lifeguard crews and a rescue boat arrived to also help.

SDFD said their crews used a “cable-haul system to extricate him from the water,” which could be seen in the clip they shared. A Stokes basket used for rescues could also be seen being lowered along with an SDFD member by a pulley connected to the back of a fire truck.

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In the water below, a group of lifeguards could be seen surrounding a man, who had his arms above his head, as he laid down on a floating stretcher. Once the Stokes basket reached the water, they began to transfer the man onto it.

The camera panned to show dozens of bystanders watching solemnly above the cliffs as the rescue took place, as well as a lifeguard jet ski and rescue boat blocking off the opening of the cliff area. 

SDFD shared additional photos of the rescue, including of the Stokes basket being lowered toward the injured man and what appeared to be a group of half a dozen lifeguards surrounding the man on a floating stretcher in the water as they kept him afloat.

They also included a picture of the fire crew successfully extricating the man from the water and getting him safely onto the highway above.

“He was then quickly transferred to medics and transported with traumatic injuries,” SDFD said in the release, adding, “The rescue operation was completed after dark.” 

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Fire officials said this wasn’t the only rescue operation they made at Sunset Cliffs this week. SDFD said another teen was “critically injured” in the area just two days earlier, on Sunday, July 26.

“This is a reminder that jumping off of Sunset Cliffs isn’t just illegal — it’s incredibly dangerous,” SDFD said. “Please avoid these areas to prevent injuries or worse. It’s not worth it.”

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