San Francisco fire crews rescue woman clinging to cliff above crashing waves

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco fire crews rescued a woman Wednesday who had gone over a cliff and was stuck on the rocks with waves crashing below.

It was not immediately known how the unidentified woman ended up clinging to the rocks by the Cliff House, a well-known landmark perched above Ocean Beach on the city’s northwestern side. The area is hugely popular with locals and tourists who enjoy hiking near the Lands End lookout overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The San Francisco Fire Department said in a statement the woman had gone over the cliff and became stuck on the rocks. They didn’t immediately provide more details. She was wearing a bikini and no shoes.

Television news helicopters captured the dramatic scene as the woman held onto the rocks as ocean waves lapped below and a firefighter climbed toward her after rappelling down the rocks. The rescuer reached the woman and harnessed her in ropes and a helmet before beginning to move her up toward the roadway.

Minutes later she was safely atop the cliff and in an ambulance headed to a hospital.

The Cliff House building is owned by the National Park Service. A restaurant inside the building has been shuttered since the COVID-19 pandemic.