CA Rescuers Save Two After 400-Foot Plunge

April 14, 2022
Search and rescue crews from Cal-Fire and Mariposa County Sheriff's Office rescued a father and son after their car went 400 to 500 feet down an embankment.

California firefighter was driving on state Highway 49 and noticed a downed road marker, so he stopped to investigate.

The “keen-eyed firefighter” with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spotted a car stranded on an embankment off the highway where a father and son were stuck, deputies with the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday, April 11.

The dad and his son were driving on the scenic highway in between Coulterville and Bagby Recreation when they went off the road. They plunged between 400 and 500 feet down an embankment.

Rescuers rushed to help the dad and his son, according to the sheriff’s office. A search and rescue team from CAL-FIRE and Mercy Ambulance responded to the scene.

“Throughout the rescue the wind and rain pelted rescuers and made the rescue even more difficult,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. “Both father and son were talking when they reached the top of the embankment after being pulled up the hill by rescuers.”

Deputies didn’t know how long the father and son had been on the embankment.

They were taken to a hospital for treatment. Officials did not disclose their conditions.

©2022 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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