Man ‘screaming for days’ found trapped in hole on side of cliff, California rescuers say

A man who got trapped in a hole on the side of a cliff in California was rescued, officials said.

On Dec. 21 at about 3:40 p.m., officials received reports of a man who was stuck in a hole in Sunset Cliffs after two men heard noises coming from the area, according to a news release by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The man told firefighters he’d been stuck for a couple days, according to the release, and that he’d been “screaming for days,” NBC News reported.

The man didn’t look hurt but was stuck in a hole between 12 inches and 18 inches wide from the waist down, firefighters said.

The fire department’s technical rescue team along with the Chula Vista Fire Department began the rescue mission but had to stop when the tide started to rise, officials said.

The man was given “electrolytes and hot packs and blankets to keep him warm during the night” while the team stayed with him, officials said.

On Dec. 22 at about 4:40 a.m., a team that specializes in cave rescues with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department arrived, officials said.

It wasn’t until about 11 a.m. that the man was rescued from the hole and airlifted to a local hospital to be evaluated, officials said.

Firefighters believe the man’s injuries came from “being pinned by heavy rocks and debris for nearly 20 hours,” the release said.

The man is in stable condition, firefighters said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The man’s identity will not be released, and firefighters don’t know how he ended up in the hole, officials said.

Sunset Cliffs is about 10 miles west of downtown San Diego.