Hiker trapped on cliff at SLO County beach rescued
A hiker had to be rescued from Pirate’s Cove after falling off a cliff and into the water on Thursday morning, as high surf pounded the region.
Cal Fire Battalion Chief Louis Ermigarat said a call came in around 11:30 a.m. for a man who had fallen into the water while hiking with another person.
As of 11:40 a.m., the subject could be seen just over the side of the cliff and was “secure on a rock,” according to emergency scanner traffic.
Cal Fire, Port San Luis Harbor Patrol, San Luis Ambulance and a California Highway Patrol helicopter all responded to the incident, and a local construction company doing work at Cave Landing Road also assisted in the rescue, Ermigarat said.
Additional engines were initially also requested due to the “potential complexity with the waves,” according to scanner traffic.
The man was rescued from the cliff and evaluated by EMS personnel around noon.
Ermigarat said he sustained minor injuries in the incident; the man could be seen with a bandaged head as rescue personnel escorted him from the cliff area soon after the rescue.
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The rescue came as high surf caused issues throughout San Luis Obispo County, including numerous other water rescues and flooding.
The National Weather Service issued a high surf warning for Thursday, due to the potential for large breaking waves of 15 to 20 feet and local sets up to 25 feet, according to the Weather Service. That warning is expected to last through Saturday.
This story was originally published December 28, 2023 at 11:43 AM.
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