Four Tesla Passengers Miraculously Survive Plunge off Northern California Cliff

A Tesla automobile carrying four passengers crashed off a cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California on Monday, Jan. 2, near an area known as Devil's Slide. All four people miraculously survived the 250-foot fall and were aware and alert when rescuers arrived, CBS News reports.

According to Brian Pottenger, a battalion chief for Coastside Fire Protection District/Cal Fire, the Tesla appears to have flipped a few times before coming to a stop on its wheels, wedged against the cliff just feet from the surf.

An Absolute Miracle

The same CBS News report tells us that crashes along Devil's Slide, a treacherous stretch of road characterized by its steep, rocky terrain and winding curves, are rarely survivable. Pottenger described the survival of the four passengers as "an absolute miracle."

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) does not believe the Tesla was in Autopilot or Full Self-Driving mode at the time of the crash, nor do they believe road conditions were a factor. Instead, the automobile is thought to have just left the main portion of the route for unknown reasons. There was no railing where the vehicle crashed off the cliff.

Witnesses called 911 at around 10:15 a.m., and rescue crews set up a rope system from the highway in order to lower firefighters down the cliff. At the same time, firefighters watching the sedan through binoculars suddenly noticed movement, indicating that at least one person was still alive. The incident quickly turned from what was likely to be a recovery operation into a rescue mission.

Extraction

As per Kron4, firefighters repelled down the cliff and rescued the two children from the automobile as the CHP's Golden Gate Air Helicopter 30 responded to the collision. H-30 then lowered a helicopter rescue technician to the location to assist in the extraction of both adults from the vehicle.

The conditions at the scene were harsh, with persistent rain, strong winds, slick roads, and pounding waves. The doors of the Tesla were smashed against the cliff and wedged shut, forcing rescuers to use "jaws of life" gear to extract the victims.

Local10 reports that the youngsters were extracted through the back window and hand-carried up the cliff in a rescue basket utilizing the rope system. They were taken by ambulance to the hospital with musculoskeletal injuries. Pottenger described the children as "more scared than they were hurt."

The adults in the car had suffered traumatic injuries and had to be hoisted up the cliff by helicopter. They were then both flown to the hospital. It is not yet clear whether the four occupants of the car were members of the same family. However, it has been reported that the adults' injuries were not life-threatening, and the children were unharmed.

Officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident. Pottenger, who described Devil's Slide as a "treacherous stretch of California," stated that he personally avoids driving in the area.

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