Pacific Grove man rescued 2 days after driving off Big Sur cliffside

GOOD EVENING. I'M ERIN CLARK. DAN GREEN IS OFF TONIGHT. WE ARE BEGINNING TONIGHT WITH A STUNNING RESCUE.. A PACIFIC GROVE MAN IS RECOVERING AFTER DRIVING OFF A CLIFF IN BIG SUR.. AND BEING STRANDED FOR 36 HOURS BEFORE EMERGENCY CREWS COULD GET TO HIM. ACTION NEWS 8 REPORTER ARIANA JASO IS LIVE WITH MORE FOR US.. ARI?? ERIN.. WE'RE HERE AT NATIVIDAD .. WHERE THAT MAN WAS TAKEN AFTER HE WAS RESCUED... I SPOKE TO THE BIG SUR FIRE CHIEF WHO CALLS THIS RESCUE.. A MIRACLE.. THIS VIDEO FOOTAGE.. SHOWS THE MOMENT OF A PACIFIC GROVE MAN BEING RESCUED.. AFTER DRIVING OFF A BIG SUR CLIFFSIDE NEAR HURRICANE POINT.. FALLING ABOUT 500- FEET.. AND BEING STRANDED FOR á36- HOURSá.. FIRST RESPONDERS SEARCHED THE COASTLINE FROM BIG SUR TO CARMEL.. 20- MINUTES LATER.. THE DRIVER WAS FOUND WAVING TO THE SEARCH TEAM NEXT TO HIS CAR.. <MATT HARRIS // BIG SUR FIRE CHIEF> 1:31 THE CHP AIRPLANE, WITH THEIR CAMERA AND THEIR VISUAL OBSERVERS, WERE ABLE TO LOCATE A SUBJECT AND AND CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS MOVEMENT, 1:39 BIG SUR FIRE CHIEF.. MATT HARRIS SAYS áTHATá IS WHEN THE ENTIRE TONE OF THE RESCUE CHANGED.. <MATT HARRIS // BIG SUR FIRE CHIEF> 1:42 WE WERE STILL IN A RESCUE MODE. 1:43 BUT, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE THE LENGTH OF TRAVEL, WHICH WAS ABOUT 500FT OVER THE CLIFF. 1:49 CHIEF HARRIS WAS THE FIRST TO REACH HIM.. CLIMBING DOWN TO ASSESS THE DRIVER BEFORE HE WAS AIRLIFTED UP TO SAFETY... A MOMENT OF RELIEF AND OVERWHELMING EMOTIONS.. <MATT HARRIS // BIG SUR FIRE CHIEF> 4:22 AT FIRST HE WAS ABLE TO ARTICULATE CLEARLY EVERYTHING, BUT THEN THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS, RUSH OF EMOTION. HE WAS OVERCOME WITH EMOTION WHEN I LET HIM KNOW THAT HIS FAMILY WAS ON THE CLIFF, AND HE COULD LOOK UP AND SEE THEM, 4:33 PIECES OF THE DRIVERS CAR SHOW WHERE THE CAR CRASHED DOWN TO.. THE VICTIM TOLD FIRST RESPONDERS THAT HE SWERVED TO AVOID A DEER.. AND HIT THIS GUARD RAIL.. FLYING OFF THE CLIFF AND THROWN OUT FROM HIS SUNROOF.. <MATT HARRIS // BIG SUR FIRE CHIEF // SECOND INTERVIEW> 00:14 IMPACTED ABOUT 20FT OVER. AND IT'S REALLY STEEP RIGHT HERE. SO THERE WAS NOTHING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AND THEN IT CONTINUED. ON THIS TRAJECTORY DOWN THIS RAVINE, PROBABLY FLIPPING MULTIPLE TIME 00:27 <MATT HARRIS // BIG SUR FIRE CHIEF // SECOND INTERVIEW> 00:40 AND THEN IT CONTINUED ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THAT THICK BROWN BRUSH. AND BASICALLY IT WAS RIGHT AT THE EDGE BEFORE IT GETS TO THE SAND. SO IT WAS ABOUT 50FT FROM THE BEACH 00:52 A TERRIFYING INCIDENT.. AND A MIRACLE RECOVERY.. <MATT HARRIS // BIG SUR FIRE CHIEF> 6:12 MOST PEOPLE DON'T SURVIVE THAT. 6:15 YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE DON'T. AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE IN THAT MODE OF RECOVERY TO START WITH. MISSING FOR 36 HOURS, NO CONTACT AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO IT WAS REALLY A BEST CASE SCENARIO. 6:25 I'M TOLD THAT THE VICTIM DID HAVE VISIBLE INJURIES TO HIS FACE, HEAD AND LEG.. BUT SURPRISINGLY, THEY'RE ONLY MOD

A Pacific Grove man was rescued on Tuesday after driving his car off a Big Sur cliffside and falling 400 feet. The man, who crashed while driving home from his job in Big Sur, was first reported missing after not returning home on Sunday night.According to the California Highway Patrol's Coastal Division Air Operations, a Pacific Grove police dispatch asked them to search the coastline from Big Sur to Carmel. Twenty minutes later, the driver was found waving to the search team next to the wreckage of his car.Full Video of RescueThe victim told rescuers that he was on his way home Sunday night when he swerved to avoid deer on the roadway and drove off the cliff. The victim said he was thrown from the sunroof of his car while it rolled down the cliff.Eventually, the car came to a stop approximately 400 ft. down the cliff in a spot that cannot be seen from the road and cannot be accessed at the beach.Big Sur Fire Chief Matt Harris climbed down to assess the health of the driver. Harris told KSBW that the victim injured his right leg in the crash and was not able to walk.Both of them were then airlifted off the cliff, and he was taken to a nearby hospital. He was in stable condition and had only moderate injuries.

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. —

According to the California Highway Patrol's Coastal Division Air Operations, a Pacific Grove police dispatch asked them to search the coastline from Big Sur to Carmel.

Twenty minutes later, the driver was found waving to the search team next to the wreckage of his car.

Full Video of Rescue

The victim told rescuers that he was on his way home Sunday night when he swerved to avoid deer on the roadway and drove off the cliff. The victim said he was thrown from the sunroof of his car while it rolled down the cliff.

Eventually, the car came to a stop approximately 400 ft. down the cliff in a spot that cannot be seen from the road and cannot be accessed at the beach.

Big Sur Fire Chief Matt Harris climbed down to assess the health of the driver. Harris told KSBW that the victim injured his right leg in the crash and was not able to walk.

Both of them were then airlifted off the cliff, and he was taken to a nearby hospital. He was in stable condition and had only moderate injuries.

Pacific Grove man rescued 2 days after driving off Big Sur cliffside

Full Video of Rescue

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