A man survived a 75-foot fall from the observation deck of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in California on Saturday.
An employee working at a restaurant atop of Mt. San Jacinto summit saw the man as he reportedly climbed over a railing just before he fell off the side of the cliff, the Los Angeles Times reported. (RELATED: Man Survives 9-Story Plunge From High Rise After Landing Onto BMW Parked Below)
Inaccessible Rescue Palm Springs Aerial Tramway RPT @ 5:08 PM – Firefighters are working with a roping system to rescue a person fallen apprx 300 feet from a landing at the top of the tram. #TramIC pic.twitter.com/jYeqyIzqCV
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) February 13, 2022
Emergency officials responded to a call about the man, who slipped on ice before he fell, around 5:30 p.m. Due to where the man was located and weather conditions, the man could not be lifted via helicopter, so firefighters of the Riverside County Fire Department were sent to aide in his rescue, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Firefighters on the scene pulled the man up by rigging together a rope system with a Stokes basket which is a stretcher made especially for emergency situations, according to the outlet.
The Riverside County Fire Department originally stated that the man fell 300-feet, but released an update later stating that the man really fell 75-feet, according to Darik.News.
“Our first priority is not the how it happened, but how a patient is doing during our rescue,” Riverside County Fire spokesperson April Newman said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The man reportedly sustained only minor injuries from the fall and refused additional medical attention. The man was with another person and both rode the tramway back down, according to the outlet.