Young adult suffers traumatic injuries in 100-foot fall at Land's End

A young adult suffered traumatic injuries after tumbling roughly 70 to 100 feet down a cliff at Land's End, triggering a helicopter rescue near the USS San Francisco Memorial.

San Francisco Fire Department crews got the first calls around 7 p.m. on Memorial Day, May 25, and Richmond District stations 34 and 14 reached the area in less than five minutes, according to Capt. Jack Ayers. Witnesses helped crews pinpoint the victim’s location below the cliff near the war memorial area close to Sutro Baths, where cables normally block access to the edge.

The California Highway Patrol’s H30 helicopter, based in Napa, was already clearing another emergency when it was diverted to the scene. Ayers said the aircraft picked up one of the fire department’s helicopter rescue technicians at Crissy Field, then reached the rescue site in less than four minutes. The full operation was completed in under 10 minutes.

Crews took the young adult to a local hospital with traumatic injuries. Officials did not release the person’s condition.

The fall happened at one of San Francisco’s most recognizable coastal overlooks, where the USS San Francisco Memorial draws visitors as well as hikers passing through Lands End. The memorial honors the World War II cruiser USS San Francisco, which sustained 45 hits and 25 fires during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. Memorial Day crowds were already building there, and KNTV reported that hundreds attended a ceremony at the memorial on Sunday before the rescue.

Land’s End sits at San Francisco’s northwestern corner inside Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the National Park Service warns visitors to stay on trails and keep away from cliffs. Its paths wind along rocky bluffs above the Pacific, with historic remnants scattered through the landscape, including shipwrecks, Sutro Baths ruins, old battery emplacements and the memorial itself. The terrain makes the area a popular place to walk and reflect, but the same setting can turn hazardous in seconds when someone steps too close to the edge or loses footing on the bluff.