Man And Son Miraculously Survive Car Falling 500 Feet Off California Cliff
By Rebekah Gonzalez
April 13, 2022
A father and son from Rancho Cordova, California were rescued after their car crashed and fell 500 feet off a cliff in Mariposa County, according to CBS San Francisco. The two men apparently ran into some good luck during the terrifying incident as Mariposa Country Sheriff Jeremey Briese credited the "quick response" of a Cal Fire firefighter who just happened to be passing by in their moment of peril.
The California Highway Patrol reported that Scott Anderson, 51, and his 11-year-old son were traveling in the rain when he lost control of his Toyota while making a turn. The car flipped multiple times before tumbling into a ditch and out of sight.
"The Cal Fire employee noticed signs of possibly a traffic accident or this delineator down," said the sheriff. "They're brave actions and their skills were able to find this vehicle."
A small army of search and rescue teams worked for four hours in the rain and steep terrain to pull the two up the cliff. "The area that this car went off is an extremely steep canyon and it's an extremely rural area of the county," Briese explained. "I know the ropes they were using were 600-foot ropes, and once they reached the patients, they had about 100 feet left."
Anderson and his son suffered moderate injuries and authorities said they were still in nearby hospitals as of early morning Wednesday, April 13. Investigators also said they were both wearing seatbelts and alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash.
A Miracle. A keen-eyed fire fighter. The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team. All those combined saved the life of a father and son traveling through Mariposa County today. Hwy 49 North between Coulterville and Bagby Recreation are, the vehicle they were driving went off the road and down the embankment approximately 400-500 feet. A CAL-FIRE unit in the area saw a downed road marker and stopped to investigate, that is when he saw the vehicle. Search and Rescue responded and began the rescue operation with CAL-FIRE and Mercy Ambulance. Throughout the rescue the wind and rain pelleted rescuers and made the rescue even more difficult. Both father and son were talking when they reached the top of the embankment after being pulled up the hill by rescuers. They were transported to valley hospitals. We don’t don’t how long the two were down there before being located.
Posted by Mariposa County Sheriff's Office on Monday, April 11, 2022