A woman was rescued and taken to the hospital after falling more than 30 feet down a vertical portion of Sunset Cliffs before landing on huge rocks below.
Dozens of beachgoers witnessed the July 1 incident at 3:45 p.m. on a sunny Sunday afternoon just north of Hill Street where a trail entrance is blocked by a city-installed warning sign.
Lifeguards from San Diego Fire-Rescue determined the best way to remove the bloodied victim was by helicopter and the department’s chopper was on the scene within minutes as police blocked Sunset Cliffs Boulevard for rescue personnel as hundreds gathered to watch the rescue.
It was believed the woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The woman had walked around the barrier like hundreds of others do when she lost her balance at the top of a makeshift trail leading to the popular No Surf Beach north of Luscomb Point.
One who saw the woman fall was Meika Boyce, a visitor from Maryland, who was with a group from Chula Vista.
“We were standing here enjoying the view and saw a young lady fall right over the edge, head first,” Boyce said, noting the victim tumbled head-over-heels as she fell.
Boyce said the victim appeared to be part of a group of three or four people who also had a dog with them. The dog became agitated when the woman fell leading Boyce to believe the dog belonged to the victim.
Several beachgoers responded upon hearing the woman’s screams and the first to climb over large rocks to reach her was Laban Pitman Johnson, a visitor from the East Coast of Australia.
“She was awake and told me her name (Kelsey) and age (18),” Johnson said. “I just told her to stay calm and within two minutes there was a policeman with us. Within five minutes, the helicopter arrived and there was a guy who came from the beach who worked in an emergency room. It was good just to keep her calm and still. It could have been way worse,” he said. “I was happy to find she was able to talk.”
There were an estimated 250 people on the beach just north of the cliff where the victim fell.
Rescues along Sunset Cliffs have risen since the area has become hugely popular through social media with daily crowds flocking to the area for the panoramic ocean view and to watch sunsets.
