Helicopter Lights Up Nighttime Rescue After Car Falls 75 Feet at Mugu Rock

Calls came in early Sunday reporting that a car had gone off Pacific Coast Highway at Mugu Rock in Ventura County. Responders located a gray 2006 Honda Accord that had fallen about 75 feet down the cliff onto the rocky shoreline. A CHP helicopter hovered over the water, using a high-powered searchlight to illuminate the dark coast before sunrise.

After a brief search, a heavy-duty tow truck extracted the wreck and firefighters rescued the driver, a 37-year-old man from Oxnard, who remained in the vehicle. Officials said he was alert, conscious and able to speak with emergency personnel, sustaining only minor injuries before being transported to a nearby hospital. Investigators noted the driver approached the area at high speed and abruptly steered right, but the exact reasons for the maneuver are still being examined. No details about alcohol or drug involvement have been released.