Helicopter rescue lifts injured paraglider from steep California cliff

On Wednesday afternoon a lone paraglider came down onto a cliff just north of Mussel Rock in Daly City, ending up roughly 500 feet beneath the top. Daly City Fire Fighters Local 400 described the site as extremely rough terrain, prompting a multi-agency response that included the CHP Golden Gate Division air operations, local firefighters and an American Medical Response ambulance. Because the victim was high above the beach, a CHP helicopter arrived with a rescue technician from the Daly City Fire Department, who was hoisted down the sheer face to reach the injured pilot.

After securing the paraglider, both were lifted back to the helicopter and flown to a nearby trauma center, where the pilot was reported to have moderate injuries. The entire operation, from the emergency call to hospital transport and scene clearance, lasted about 90 minutes. This rescue follows a recent cliffside incident in San Francisco where firefighters saved a dog near Dead Man’s Point.