An operation to rescue a man who became trapped in a crevasse at Sunset Cliffs Thursday afternoon continued Friday morning, with crews counting on the receding tide and the specialty skills of fresh volunteers to extricate him.
The person became trapped from the waist down in a hole along the side of a cliff at the foot of Orchard Street about 3:40 p.m., according to San Diego Fire-Rescue officials.
“The entry point is only about 18 inches in diameter which has caused extreme difficulty in getting him out,” fire officials wrote in an incident log. The man does not appear to be injured.
A Fire-Rescue technical rescue team, aided by the Chula Vista Fire Department, worked for hours Thursday to free him but were unable to continue with the rising tide.
He was forced to spend the night in the crevasse, with firefighters keeping watch. He was provided electrolytes, hot packs and blankets to keep warm, officials said.
A team of volunteer rescuers from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department arrived to help in the extrication effort about 4:40 a.m. Friday morning. They were waiting for the tide to recede and plan to drill and dig around him until he is freed.
