SAN FRANCISCO—Two men made a call for help after getting stranded on a cliff in San Francisco near the Cliff House restaurant and Sutro Baths ruins, a San Francisco Fire Department official said.
The Cliff House is located on the westernmost part of Point Lobos Avenue in the Outer Richmond District of San Francisco. It is almost directly east of the Seal Rocks near the Camera Obscura tourist attraction.
According to Frank Cercos, a spokesman for the San Francisco Fire Department, one man was swimming in the cold waters while the other traversed the face of the cliff above. Once realizing that they were stuck and in danger, both men contacted officials for help.
Rescue teams lifted the victim stranded in the water first, before hoisting the man stuck on the cliff, Cercos said. Both have been reported safe.
Ocean Beach, bordered on the north by the Cliff House, is known as a dangerous place for swimmers and surfers under certain weather conditions. The surrounding waters are known to have strong currents and rip tides, making it desirable for surfers, but dangerous and unpredictable.
The water in the area is known to be very frigid due to upwelling from the Coriolis effect, where the deep parts of the ocean are extracted upwards toward the surface from the velocity of the currents.
Two deaths occurred within one week in April 2016 at Ocean Beach, prompting officials to determine ways to discourage the public from swimming in the area.
According to a report made in April 2016 by the SF Examiner, there is a patrol program that caters to Ocean Beach and it makes a substantial difference in the safety of the public. In 2015, the patrol rescued 52 people, made 21,000 safety advisory contacts, and 14,000 safety contacts with people who ventured into the water.
