A cyclist who fell from a 50-foot cliff near Chula Vista and became trapped in the canyon below was rescued after U.S. Border Patrol agents in the area heard his cries for help Saturday night, officials said.
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The rescue occurred after federal agents were patrolling near Otay Lakes County Park and heard someone calling out in a canyon near Savage Dam, Border Patrol officials said.
The agents hiked toward the voice and found the seriously injured cyclist at the base of the cliff, officials said.
Hours earlier, the cyclist had lost his footing while walking his bike along a trail on the canyon wall and fallen to the bottom, agents said. His injuries left him unable to move.
A video filmed on one of the agent’s body-worn cameras shows Border Patrol officials medically treating the bloodied cyclist while he is lying on a bed of grass and rocks in the dark.
“I see you have your helmet on. Are you aware you lost consciousness?” one of the agents asks the cyclist.
“No,” the man responds.
The agents bandage the cyclist’s wounds, cover him in an emergency blanket and stay by his side until he is hoisted away by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s helicopter, the video shows. He was then taken to a nearby hospital, officials said.
“There is no doubt in my mind that these agents saved this man’s life,” said acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey Stalnaker. “I am truly thankful the agents were in the right place at the right time to make a difference.”
On Sunday, agents returned to the canyon and retrieved the man’s bicycle and personal belongings. The items were returned to the cyclist’s wife.
Details on the medical condition of the cyclist were unknown Wednesday.