Person Rescued After Falling From Cliff Near Panther State Beach

The person fell about 25 to 30 feet from the cliff, landing on a rock shelf.

By Bay City News, Patch Staff

Sep 13, 2026 7:56 PM PDT | Updated Sep 13, 2026 8:13 PM PDT

Fire, police, police and fire, firefighters, fire fighters, fire department, department, fire station, fire brigade, brigade, fire company, (Rachel Nunes/Patch)

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Firefighters helped rescue a person who fell several dozen feet off a cliff south of Panther State Beach in Santa Cruz County Saturday afternoon, according to CAL FIRE.

The person fell about 25 to 30 feet from the cliff, landing on a rock shelf. Video of the rescue shows a helicopter hoisting the person to the coastal bluffs. The person was flown to a hospital in stable condition.

CAL FIRE is warning people to avoid climbing on beach cliffs and rocks, noting that the person who fell could have easily landed in the ocean. High winds and large waves can make these areas unpredictable.

This afternoon, firefighters and partners responded to a person who fell 25–30 ft off a cliff south of Panther Beach, landing on a rock shelf.

Responders packaged the patient before CAL FIRE BEU Copter 610 out of Hollister Air Attack Base hoisted the patient to the bluffs for… pic.twitter.com/2YVNCLhn2G— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) September 13, 2026

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