SAN DIEGO — A 65-year-old man was injured after falling approximately 45 feet while rock climbing at Mission Trails Regional Park on Monday morning, officials said.
The incident occurred just after 11 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Kyle Heavey, a climbing instructor, was teaching a student along the Climbers Loop north when the man fell. Heavey, who witnessed the fall, said the climber had been free soloing—climbing without the use of a rope—when he lost his grip and fell around 40 to 50 feet.
Heavey quickly called 911 and, along with a fellow instructor, rushed to help the fallen man. Both Heavey and the other instructor are certified wilderness first responders. “We did what we could,” Heavey said, explaining that they tried to stop the man’s bleeding before emergency responders arrived.
Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jose Ysea confirmed that the climber suffered a head injury. He was rescued by a Fire-Rescue helicopter and flown to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, Ysea did not have further details on the man’s condition.