Harrowing Footage Shows Cliffside Helicopter Rescue of Stranded Hiker

Terrifying footage shows a daring rescue carried out after a man fell from a hiking trail near the Golden Gate Bridge and was left clinging to the side of a cliff. The Sonoma Sheriff’s Department detailed the rescue in a statement, along with video of the incident.

On Sunday at around 7:40 p.m. local time, firefighters in Marin County contacted the sheriff’s department to alert them to the barefooted man’s predicament. He had been hiking the Battery Alexander Trailhead within the Golden Gate Recreation Area when he apparently slipped and fell down the cliffside.

“The subject was approximately 50-60 feet down from the trail and was clinging to the gravel rock face,” the statement read.

A Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) observed the unidentified victim through thermal imaging before descending from the chopper on a long line. Footage from the rescuer’s bodycam shows the terrified victim barely moving as the TFO slides a rescue harness around his body.

“Hey, don’t let go, man!” the TFO tells the victim. “Don’t let go, OK?” After slipping the harness around the man’s body, his rescuer tells him, “I got you, brother.”

After the harness was secured, the two men clung to the rescue line as the helicopter took them back to the top of the cliff. The victim was evaluated by medical and fire crew at the scene.

It’s unclear what condition he is in, or what his location is at this time. It’s unknown how he was able to access the hiking trail after hours.