SAN DIEGO — After more than three days, rescue workers finally freed a man who was stuck under concrete slabs on the bluffs in Sunset Cliffs. The man became trapped on the bluffs after trying to create a shelter in a tunnel along the cliffs.
The man's identity or his injuries are not yet known.
Trapped
Fire officials were initially alerted to the incident near Cable Street at 3:43 p.m. on Thursday, December 21.
Someone nearby heard the man calling for help after he slid down 12 to 15 feet on the hillside and became wedged inside a tunnel underneath a rock. The man said he had been trapped there for 3 days.
The man who discovered the man trapped told CBS 8 that he tried to help free the man himself before the first responders arrived.
San Diego's and Chula Vista's fire departments worked alongside San Diego Lifeguards, city geologists and soil specialists to extract the man ahead into the evening ahead of Thursday night's storm.
The man told fire officials he had been screaming for help for days, but it was unclear initially how long he had been stuck in the tunnel.
San Diego Fire's Battalion Chief Craig Newell said the crew worked through the night and had to wait as high tides postponed rescue efforts.
"We're bringing in everyone we can to give us enough assistance and technical expertise to facilitate this rescue," Newell said.
He said the biggest challenge of the rescue is the location.
"We're down on the cliffside, we're scrambling over the rocks, underneath the rocks in an environment with unstable footing," Newell said. "We're worried about the rocks collapsing on our other rescuers."
Rescuers used micro-explosions, drills, and even buckets to try and free the man.
"There's just enough room for them to fit head first in the tunnel while they're secure with the ropes and harnesses," Newell said.
The rainstorm that hit San Diego County Thursday night and rising tide delayed emergency responders, Newell said.
Witnesses called 911 for help Thursday afternoon after they said they heard a man calling for help.
The group of friends then worked to try and free the man themselves as they called for help. Justin Florentino Pacheco, one of the heroes, is back home for the holidays. He was visiting from Fort Gregg Adams in Virginia when he and his friends heard the trapped man's cry for help.
That's when the group of friends say Justin sprang into action. Florentino Pacheco shared with CBS 8 that he and his friend Chris Correa had to hold on to each other while they attempted to pull the man to safety.
"He was grabbing onto my feet while I was trying to use my nails to dig out the dirt and debris in front of him and grab him with my belt. He was about 10-15 feet deep into the ground so I had to put my whole body vertical with my head down to at least have a grip on him. He wasn't able to move one of his arms because it was covered in dirt and was in a stuck position for two days. His first words were help me, I'm scared I'm hungry. I've been here for three days," Pacheco said.
Correa said, "He was pretty panicked. Being stuck in a hole for 3 days not talking to nobody, doesn't know what's going on. When we told him the life guard was coming, he said stay with me until they get here. He didn't want us to leave."
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