24 December 2023 , 19:15
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Bodycam footage captured the amazing moment a man was pulled from broken concrete on the side of a cliff.
On Friday, first responders saved a middle-aged man who had slipped and fallen under broken concrete on the side of a cliff in Ocean Beach, with officials explaining he might have been stuck there for up to three days.
A rescue team rushed to Cable St. and Orchard Avenue last Thursday after someone heard a man shouting for help, says the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD). They had to pause their rescue as tides got high.
By 9am Friday, the rescuers resumed their mission. Two hours later, they managed to lift him out on a stretcher. During a news conference on Thursday evening, SDFD Battalion Chief Craig Newell revealed that the man was found underneath a rip rap tunneling and had been stuck there for three days.
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A man in California was trapped in a hole under concrete for three days before rescue (San Diego Fire Rescue Department)While tunneling, he slid further down and got wedged under the rock at the bottom of the tunnel, which is about 12-15 feet down in the hillside, according to Newell.
The victim, who is stable now, could talk with the first responders, as per SDFD. The rescuers didn't give him food during the rescue to prevent him from vomiting, but they did provide him water and Gatorade in small amounts. They also kept him warm throughout the night with blankets and hot packs.
When the rescue crews reached the scene, he was being crushed by rocks and debris from the waist down. During the nearly two-day rescue, first responders managed to go through the bottom to relieve pressure on his legs.
Officials say a man fell over 4m (15ft) into a narrow hole and had been screaming for help for days (San Diego Fire Rescue Department)Two of the smallest first responders, one from San Diego and one from San Bernardino, were lowered into a hole to free a trapped man. They drilled small holes and set micro blasts to remove the surrounding rock, according to the San Diego Fire Department (SDFD).
The unidentified man was rushed to hospital with major trauma injuries. He's thought to have hurt his abdomen and legs, and is also dehydrated.
Bad weather and high tide delayed the rescue efforts. The crews had to wait for the tide to go out before they could use special equipment to free him.
About 150 first responders worked from Thursday afternoon to free the man. Nearby roads were closed off, and food was brought in as the rescue teams worked in shifts of six hours.
The Chula Vista Fire Urban Search & Rescue team, County of San Diego US&R team, San Diego Police Department and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Cave rescue team all helped with the rescue.