In a dramatic rescue operation, the California Highway Patrol’s H-30 helicopter and the San Francisco Fire Department collaborated to save an elderly man who had fallen approximately 30 yards from the edge of a cliff near Lands End in San Francisco, California on the 25th September 2023.

As firefighters conducted a ground search, H-30 took to the skies to search from above. After a brief search, the helicopter team located the man in a challenging-to-reach grove of trees.

To facilitate the rescue, H-30 lowered a San Francisco Fire Helicopter Rescue Technician (HRT) to the scene, who assisted in successfully hoisting the injured man from the steep terrain. The helicopter then transported the victim and the SFFD HRT member to the location of Cliff Rescue 14.

Both the victim and the HRT member were lowered to safety. The injured man was subsequently transported to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment of the injuries he sustained during the fall.