Calf rescued after spending a week stranded at bottom of SLO County cliff

A 5-month-old calf was rescued after spending a week stranded at the bottom of a steep beach cliff in Harmony Headlands State Park.

According to a Cal Fire post on Facebook, firefighters on Saturday morning successfully rescued the calf after a ranch dog discovered her at the bottom of a 50-foot cliff near Harmony Ranch Road off Highway 1.

The firefighters and rescue personnel were able to rescue both the lost calf and ranch dog using a technical rope system, the post said.

The calf survived by eating the ice plants that run along the shoreline of the cliff, the post said.

An unidentified rancher believed the calf had been stranded for over a week because she did not have the brand from last week’s branding, according to the post.

The rancher has since named the calf “Rock-Sand” to remember her unexpected time by the beach.

This story was originally published January 24, 2026 at 4:51 PM.