Crews rescue woman, two dogs from Daly City cliff

DALY CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a woman and her two dogs after they fell down a cliff in Daly City Wednesday morning.

A 27-year-old man, a 54-year-old woman and two dogs were walking after midnight on the treacherous trails just south of Thornton State Beach when they all tumbled down the cliff and got trapped.

The man was injured after he rolled all the way to the bottom. Despite injuries he sustained in the fall, he was able to still walk out and call for help. Then, he was taken to a local hospital.

Officials say firefighters tried to initially rescue the woman, but her two dogs were acting aggressively and rescuers weren't able to reach her, so the call went out to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The airmen did an initial fly over just after 5 a.m. to assess the situation, but windy conditions pushed the rescue attempt back by nearly two hours.

A rescue swimmer was lowered down the cliff at 6:45 a.m. to help the woman. He put her in a sling connected to his harness. Then, they were both lifted up into the helicopter and flew back to the U.S. Coast Guard station adjacent to the San Francisco International Airport.

She was checked out by medical services and taken home by Daly City police officers in good condition.

The woman was concerned about her dogs because one appeared to be injured after the fall and the other had gotten trapped on the cliff. Animal control eventually captured them both. "Well, it's always good to see a successful rescue," North County Fire Authority spokesperson Klaus Zalinskis said.

Officials say both dogs are back with their owner. One of the dogs suffered a leg injury.