A man is safe after being rescued from a La Jolla cliff Tuesday morning. San Diego lifeguards and firefighters rescued the man who spent the night on a shallow ledge above Black's Beach after becoming stranded on the bluffs while hiking overnight, San Diego Fire Rescue said.
Rescuers were first alerted to the man's presence about halfway down the beach-front cliffs around 5:45a.m. He later told his rescuers he'd been stranded on the cliff face for more than six hours. Footage from the scene showed the man had spelled out the word "help" with his torn socks or other clothing.
A helicopter responded to the area to help pinpoint the location of the stranded man before emergency crews decided to send a rescuer rappelling down the cliff face from above. The firefighter hooked the man into a climbing harness and helped him scale the cliff's packed-dirt face as other emergency crews pulled his rope from above.
A paramedic told dispatchers that the man reported falling about 10 to 15 feet during a nighttime hike above the beach, though since it happened in the dark, he wasn't sure exactly how far he fell. He complained of some right shoulder pain and had minor cuts and bruises.
Photo Credit: 10 News