Hillside Rescue

In the early morning hours on Sunday, Kensington-El Cerrito firefighters rescued a Concord man whose vehicle had plunged 200 feet down a steep hillside and landed in Tilden Park.

The car went off the road at Beloit Avenue and Los Altos Drive in Kensington. The man was stuck for about five hours before firefighters arrived to begin the rescue.

It took four fire engines and about a dozen firefighters approximately two and one-half hours to set up an open rope system, descend to the bottom, free the man from his car, and bring him back up the hill, according to Fire Chief Eric Saylors.

After being brought up safely at around 4 a.m., the man was able to walk to an ambulance, Saylors said. He was in stable condition when taken to a hospital.

“A Very Good Rescue”

“It was a pretty intensive operation,” Saylors said. “It was a very good rescue!”

El Cerrito Fire Captain Joseph Gagne arrived first from Engine 55 in response to the call, established Incident Command, and requested additional resources to ensure a safe and effective rescue.

Crews deployed four rescuers over the side of the hill, while the remaining personnel operated as the haul team, a news release said. The patient was secured in a Stokes basket and successfully raised along with three rescuers using a 3:1 mechanical advantage system. Crews were operating near the maximum length of their 200-foot ropes, highlighting the technical complexity of the incident.

By the time firefighters were called at 1:30 a.m., authorities had been searching for the man since about 8:30 p.m., when he was reported as a missing person, the news release said.

Dinner with Friends in Kensington

A neighbor who lives on Los Altos Avenue said it was known in the neighborhood that the man had dinner with friends on nearby Plateau Drive that evening and then left for his home.

“I was home,” the neighbor said. “I thought I heard a horn but was not sure.”

She did not hear the car go over the edge of Los Altos Drive and pointed out a single tire track going over the side. “I don’t think he braked,” she said.

According to neighbors, the man called 9-1-1 after his vehicle landed but mistakenly thought he was near Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Fish Ranch Road.

Found After Five Hours

After he had been missing for five hours, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office triangulated the man’s location using his phone, Saylors said.

That’s when the firefighters were called.

“The operation required a high level of coordination, technical skill, and teamwork,” Saylors said. “They performed exceptionally well in executing this complex rescue safely. Most importantly, the patient was rescued safely without injury, and there were no injuries to firefighters.”

Next: 300-Foot Ropes for Department

As a result of the incident, Saylors said that the department will review rope cache placement and plans to transition to 300-foot ropes as standard inventory once current apparatus maintenance is completed.

“This will further enhance our capability to operate safely in our steep and challenging terrain,"