Driver Goes Off Cliff on Highway 1, Rescued By Helicopter

A driver who went over a cliff on state Highway 1 in Sonoma County was rescued by helicopter Saturday afternoon, according to the Sonoma County
Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office was called to assist with the rescue of a vehicle that went off a 75-foot cliff in the area of High Point shortly after 2:30 p.m., according to Lt. Clint Shubel.

The car, a red sedan, was in a perilous position stuck in the brush above a ravine, Shubel said.

State park rangers, firefighters and paramedics on the scene determined that the sole occupant of the car was conscious but suffering from neck and back injuries and in need of medical attention.

The Sheriff's Office helicopter, Henry-1, conducted a "long line" rescue, in which a deputy was lowered on a line with an attached basket for transporting the patient. The patient was transferred and transported in the basket to a waiting ambulance.

The patient's condition is unknown, Shubel said. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident.

-- Bay City News Service

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