The dramatic helicopter rescue of a man who clung to a Northern California cliffside after falling off a trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area was caught on video released by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
The Southern Marin Fire District requested a helicopter at approximately 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, which used thermal imaging to spot the man who was dangling precariously above the rising ocean tide in the Bay Area, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
“The victim was about 40 feet off the water line,” Jason Golden, battalion chief with Southern Marin Fire District, told ABC7 in San Francisco. “The individual was starting to lose their grip.”
Once officials were close enough to the imperiled hiker, the rescuing officers can be heard in the video pleading with the man, saying, “Don’t let go!”
The man had fallen 50 to 60 feet from the trail, the sheriff’s office said. He was grabbed by the crew of the helicopter, named Henry-1, and swiftly hoisted to safety at the top of the cliff for medical examination by both the fire department and paramedics.
“The rescuer, afterwards 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 letting go,” Golden told ABC7.
The hiker is in stable condition, with minor injuries from scrapes and bruises.
The site of the harrowing rescue is known as the Batter Alexander Trail, which Golden said tends to be highly populated at this time of year due to the warmer weather. It is laden with steep cliffs.
Following the successful rescue effort, Golden is urging other hikers to exercise greater caution when venturing out on the trail.
“Please be very careful when you get to the cliffs,” he said. “Don’t go up close to the edge and please don’t try and climb up.”
