Injured pickup truck driver rescued after 5 days trapped at bottom of 100-foot ravine in California
A motorist whose truck tumbled about 100 feet down a Southern California bluff was rescued after being trapped at the bottom of a ravine for nearly five days, authorities said.
Rescue crews responded Saturday after receiving a report of a truck at the base of a steep hill southeast of Bakersfield in an area called Sheep's Trail, according to the Kern County Fire Department.
When crews arrived on scene, "they found a badly damaged pickup truck and one occupant at the bottom of a 100' cliff," the department wrote.
A firefighter who was lowered down with a rope determined that the motorist was injured and had been trapped inside the truck since crashing last Tuesday near Stallion Springs, according to the department's incident report.
Three more firefighters were then lowered into the ravine and the individual, who has not been identified, was placed in a rescue basket and pulled to safety. Authorities released video of the rescue as well as images that appeared to show the firefighters bringing the motorist up the ravine.
The motorist was taken by ambulance to a landing zone, and then airlifted to a local hospital, officials said. Officials did not reveal any details about the condition of the injured driver.
A total of 21 personnel were involved with the rescue, including four engines, six patrols, and one urban search and rescue team, officials said.
The California Highway Patrol and the Stallion Springs Police Department assisted in the rescue.
The cause of the crash was under investigation Sunday.