Two bystanders jumped into the water to rescue a woman whose vehicle had gone over a cliff in Santa Cruz on Monday morning.
The Santa Cruz Fire Department said it received a call around 11:21 a.m. about an SUV going over the cliff near the intersection of West Cliff Drive and Swift Street, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. The bystanders quickly sprang into action, pulling the woman from the water.
SCFD rescue swimmers transported the victim to a Harbor Patrol vessel. She was later airlifted to hospital. The fire department confirmed that no other victims were in the car. Emergency crews found a second damaged vehicle near the corner of West Cliff and Swift, near the scene of the crash.
“Thank you to both bystanders who jumped in to save this victim’s life,” Marine Safety Officer Brendan Daly said in the Facebook post. “Those few seconds were pivotal in the teamwork of this save.”
The fire department warned drivers to be cautious around West Cliff Drive, which has been undergoing extensive repairs since sustaining heavy damage in January 2023 winter storms. “With several areas under road construction due to historical storm damage, please navigate safely and obey all posted signage,” the fire department wrote in a press release.
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