Person is rescued from cliffs above Black’s Beach

San Diego firefighters and lifeguards rescued a person from the cliffs above Black’s Beach early July 10.

A person walking along the shore the night before heard someone calling for help from the cliffs above and called 911 at about 8:45 p.m., according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief David Pilkerton.

Rescue crews had trouble finding the person on the cliffs in the darkness, even with the help of a helicopter. At about 9:35 p.m., fire personnel in the helicopter saw the person on the cliffs.

The rescue took about six hours and 26 fire and lifeguard personnel, according to Battalion Chief Dave Seneviratne. The person was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital, Seneviratne said. The person’s condition was not released.

Deputy Fire Chief David Gerboth told OnScene.TV that a preliminary assessment indicated the person had suffered minor injuries.

Before 11 p.m., the helicopter had to leave because cloud cover was preventing visibility. Firefighters and lifeguards had to use ropes to lower themselves down over steep cliffs in the dark.

Eventually, rescuers were able to lower the person to the beach in a basket.

Complicating the rescue, a group of people began shooting off fireworks near the Torrey Pines Gliderport, fire officials said. San Diego police responded.

The person was in a precarious position on the cliffs, so the rescue was technically challenging, Pilkerton said. He said it was unknown whether the person had fallen down the cliffs. ◆