Updated 5:43 p.m.: Two days after a major storm system drenched the Bay Area, a vehicle plunged off southbound Highway 1 just south of the Devil’s Slide tunnels on Monday morning, authorities said.
A white Tesla with four occupants, two minors and two adults, went down nearly 250 feet over the cliff around 10:50 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire. All four victims were initially reported to be in critical condition, according to Cal Fire San Mateo County-Santa Cruz Unit.
Multiple air ambulances responded to the scene, and all four people were eventually rescued, authorities reported hours later. At 12:20 p.m., the two minors were taken to a hospital via helicopter, while first responders were still in the process of extricating the two adults. The minors reportedly had "moderate" injuries, according to Cal Fire staff.
Multiple emergency services gathered at the cliff, including the Coastside Fire Protection District, North County Fire Authority, San Mateo County Harbor District, San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, and U.S. Coast Guard. CFPD Battalion Chief Brian Pottenger said rescuers used ropes to lower themselves down the cliff, and they noticed movement in car windows through binoculars. One victim was pulled up the cliff in a stretcher by firefighters.
"We were actually very shocked when we found survivable victims in the vehicle," Pottenger said. "That was actually a hopeful moment for us."
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