Boy, 4, survives 230-foot fall from cliff in Northern California

A 4-year-old boy was rescued Monday after falling 230 feet off a seaside cliff in Northern California and landing on a rocky beach below.

Incredibly, the boy survived. Using the standard 10 feet between floors, the distance was similar to falling off a 23-story building.

“You don’t see a lot of people survive a fall from 200 feet,” said acting Capt. Jason Downing of the Bodega Bay Fire Protection District.

The boy, who was not identified, was rushed to the nearest trauma center with major injuries, including a broken leg and arm, Downing said.

Firefighters arrived about 5 p.m. at Bodega Head in Sonoma Coast State Park to find a Santa Rosa woman standing and pointing toward the cliff’s edge, where her son had gone over, Downing said.

Carrying a rescue basket, two firefighter-paramedics rappelled off the cliff and reached the boy on the rocky beach.

Paramedics found blood on the boy’s face but were relieved to see he was alive.

“He was crying and moaning a little bit,” Downing said.

The incident rattled some of the firefighters, who also have children, so a stress team was called in to talk about the rescue, he added.

After rescuing the boy, Downing said he and other firefighters just “wanted to go home and hug our kids.”

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