Since Thursday, first responders have been working to rescue a middle-aged man who slipped and fell under broken concrete sections on the side of a cliff in Ocean Beach. Fire officials believe he may have been stuck there for up to three days.
Around 3:42 p.m., a rescue team reported to Cable St. and Orchard Ave. about a medical emergency after someone heard him calling for help, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD).
As of 7:35 a.m. Friday morning, crews are still working to extricate the man from the hole.
During a news conference Thursday evening, SDFD Battalion Chief Craig Newell says rescuers discovered the man underneath a rip rap tunneling, attempting to create a shelter.
While tunneling, he slid further down and is now wedged underneath the rock at the bottom of the tunnel, which is about 12-15 feet down in the hillside, according to Newell.
The victim, who is in stable condition, has been able to communicate with first responders, per SDFD. Rescuers have not given him food in case he vomits, but will wait to see when to provide him with nutrition through an IV.
The storm and high tide delayed efforts to free him from the hole, SDFD said. When the tide recedes, crews will begin drilling and digging around him.
Check back for updates on this developing story. Fox5
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NBC7: “Rescue crews have freed a man who became trapped in a narrow tunnel under rocks on Sunset Cliffs in San Diego County after a challenging 18-hour rescue mission.
The man, who is conscious, was first spotted on the cliffs at 3:43 p.m. Thursday, according to San Diego Fire Rescue. Just after 11 a.m., rescuers using a rope-and-pulley system hoisted the man via a stretcher onto the bluffs above the sea cliffs.
It’s unclear how long the man tunneled in an attempt to create shelter, but during that time he slid further down and became wedged under a rock in the bottom of a tunnel about 12 to 15 feet into the hillside, SDFD Battalion Chief Craig Newell said. ” https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/san-diego-fd-trying-to-free-man-stuck-in-hole-on-bluffs-in-ocean-beach-for-hours/3386767/