San Jose fire officials, assisted by two helicopters, have rescued a woman who fell nearly 40 feet off a cliff.
The 28-year-old woman suffered critical injuries in the fall at Alum Rock Park on Tuesday morning. Fire Capt. Mike Van Elgort told the San Jose Mercury News members of the department's urban search and rescue team were called to the scene and rappelled down to the woman. They stabilized her.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter then used a winch to lift her onto the roadway. She was taken to Regional Medical Center on a second helicopter.
San Jose Fire Department Chief Robert Sapien explained why the rescue was so complicated.
"For this incident, we ordered two helicopters because we needed two services," he said. "One was a short-haul hoist operation, and the second will be an air ambulance that will ultimately get the patient to the ambulance."
Van Elgort said the woman did not regain consciousness while she was being extracted, and the fire department described the woman's injuries as significant.
