Tow Op Slides 300 Feet Down Cliff in Malibu

LOS ANGELES – A tow truck driver was rescued by emergency personal Friday after sliding almost 300 feet down a cliff in Malibu Friday evening.

The 36 year old man from Newbury Park and his partner were sent out on call to retrieve a wrecked motorcycle on Mulholland Drive. While scaling the rocky slope with a cable to hoist the bike, the driver lost his footing and fell.

Miraculously, he was unharmed and able to find solid footing. Malibu Search and Rescue team was dispatched, where the unit found the driver clinging desperately to the cliff nearly 50 feet below the bike.

After setting up spotlights to illuminate the scene, the team proceeded to make their way down to the driver.  After a grueling two and a half hours of descent, the rescue unit was finally within reach of the exhausted and terrified tow operator.

Reserve Sergeant David Katz, the Public Information Officer for Malibu’s Search and Rescue Team, summarized the incident. “It was a good thing we reached him when we did… While he was tired and unharmed, our first rescuer to reach him reported that the man was clinging to the side of the cliff so tightly that the rescuer had difficulty wrapping the man in the rescue harness.”

When the fortunate tow operator was safely secured, the SAR unit hauled him up to high ground. Seemingly, the driver picked the perfect spot to perch. Says Officer Katz, “it turned out that the extreme darkness masked the sheer cliff just below the stranded man.

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