A dramatic rescue unfolded in San Francisco after a bikini-clad woman was saved while dangling from a steep cliff above the pounding waters near the city’s famous Cliff House.
The terrifying scene played out near Ocean Beach, where aerial footage showed the woman clinging to the rocky cliffside roughly 70 feet below the edge. She was barefoot and stranded high above the jagged waterline after apparently getting trapped in one of the area’s notoriously dangerous currents.
According to the San Francisco Fire Department, the woman had been swimming at the beach when she was caught in a rip current. The powerful water pulled her toward an area known as Kelly’s Cove and began dragging her farther out to sea.
In a desperate attempt to save herself, she managed to climb onto the cliffs. But after getting only partway up the rock face, she froze and could not go any farther.
A bystander spotted the frightening situation and called 911, setting off a high-stakes rescue mission.
Fire crews rushed to the scene and were seen lowering a cable down to the woman so she could secure herself. A firefighter then rappelled down the cliff to reach her, carefully making contact on the narrow, dangerous ledge.
Once beside her, the rescuer placed a helmet and harness on the woman so crews could begin guiding her safely back up the cliff.
Video from the scene showed the rescue team slowly helping her climb to safety as emergency responders worked above the surf-battered coastline.
After she was pulled back to the top, firefighters placed the woman in an ambulance, where she was checked out by medical personnel.
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San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Ken Smith said the woman had been retrieved from the cliff and was being evaluated by fire personnel at the scene. Officials also said there were no injuries to any firefighters involved in the rescue.
Fire officials noted that the woman appeared to be moving well as she made her way back up the cliff. She was later evaluated and released at the scene.