6 Rescued After Rope Snaps While Trying To Climb California Cliff Late At Night

Six people were rescued after an “unauthorized” rope snapped while they tried to climb a coastal cliff in California late at night, officials said.

Cal Fire San Mateo–Santa Cruz Unit (CZU), the Santa Cruz Fire Department, and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for a cliff rescue on Davenport Beach shortly before midnight on July 4.

Cal Fire CZU said six people tried to climb up the cliff to the bluff using an “unauthorized rope” that had been installed at the top of the cliff. Three people were on the rope when it broke, causing them to fall an estimated 30–40 feet back down to the beach.

The other three people were already halfway up the cliff and “became stuck because it was too steep,” fire officials said. Due to heavy fog, air support could not assist.

Using a City of Santa Cruz ladder truck, crews used a high-angle rope rescue system to retrieve the three people who fell to the beach. All three were rushed to the hospital, with one patient in critical condition and the other two with moderate injuries.

Firefighters used ropes and harnesses to assist the remaining three people up the cliff and onto the bluff.

“Coastal cliffs are highly unstable and treacherous,” fire officials said. “Visitors are strictly advised never to attempt climbing up or down the cliff faces.”