Update: Driver rescued after vehicle plunges 500 feet off cliff along Highway 1 at Devil's Slide

SAN MATEO COAST -- A driver was rescued early Friday after his vehicle plunged 500 feet off a cliff on Highway 1 near Devil's Slide along the rugged San Mateo County coast.

The Coastside Fire Protection District said it received a 911 call at 8:30 a.m. reporting the vehicle at the base of the cliff.

"Upon investigation, we found a vehicle down on the beach, approximately 500 feet," said Coastside Fire Capt. Joe Santos. "We sent people down to evaluate and see if we had a viable patient."

Cal Fire said its firefighters rappelled down the cliff to reach the vehicle that had crashed onto Gray Whale Cove State Beach at the base of the cliff.

Once on scene, the firefighters extricated the male driver from the vehicle and stabilized him. He was placed in a basket on the beach, lifted into a helicopter and taken to the hospital for treatment.

A fire spokeswoman said the man suffered severe injuries.

Witnesses told fire officials that it was a single-vehicle crash. No one else was located in the vehicle. 

Cal Fire tweeted out images of the crash scene just south of the Tom Lantos tunnel and Devil's Slide as crews were readying to descend down the cliff to the beach.

The rescue effort forced the closure of at least one lane of Highway 1 at Gray Whale Cove State Beach for several hours.