SAN DIEGO — San Diego Lifeguards rescued a 30-year-old man Sunday afternoon who fell about 30 feet off of a cliff near the Torrey Pines Gliderport.
The man sustained shoulder and arm injuries, which were not life threatening, said Lt. Jacob Magness. Lifeguards used cliff gear and ropes to help the man get down to the beach.
Lifeguards received the call around 1:55 p.m. The man had been trying to hike down to the beach in an area where there is no trail.
But even folks who attempt to hike on a trail in that area can risk falls, Magness said. The nearby Saigon Trail, also known as the Ho Chi Minh trail, is a popular route that can prove difficult. Magness said the trail is eroded and slippery, making for high fall potential from 10 to 30 feet. When people venture off trail, they risk falls of up to 50 to 60 feet, he said.
The rescuers Sunday were covered in mud afterward, and there was potential for the rescue team to slip themselves, Magness said. To help, the rescue team used ropes and stakes to guard against additional falls.
The rescue team stopped foot traffic of many other people coming down the path Sunday afternoon.
"It was kind of eye opening," Magness said.
Magness warned hikers to be aware of the Saigon Trail's fall potential, as well as the danger of other trails around Black's Beach. There are rock falls and cliff collapses going on any given day, he said.
"There's no trail that is an easy light hike," he said.
