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Fire department outlines Fort Funston cliff rescue and subsequent recovery
Summary
The San Francisco Fire Department described a multi-agency response to a Feb. 22 cliff fall at Fort Funston; after hours of searching and concerns about cliff stability, the operation transitioned from rescue to recovery and a body was recovered March 25 and identified as the missing victim.
The San Francisco Fire Department briefed the Disaster Council on the department’s multi-agency response to a cliff incident at Fort Funston.
Assistant Deputy Chief Cochran said the initial 911 call on Feb. 22 reported a person had fallen at Fort Funston into the surf and was trapped by incoming waves. A surf-rescue and cliff-rescue response was dispatched; bystanders had assisted one person to safety, and another person remained missing. Unified command was established because multiple agencies responded. "Approximately, we had 42 members along with command staff during the initial response," Cochran said, and additional truck companies and K-9 units from San Mateo County and other agencies assisted.
After hours of searching and with nightfall approaching, Cochran said the cliff was deemed unstable and the operation shifted from rescue to recovery. He described action plans for recovery operations and said that on March 25, a cliff rescue response was dispatched for a body recovery; SFFD units assisted the medical examiner and the recovered body was later determined to be the earlier missing victim. The department extended condolences to the victim’s family.
What’s next: The fire department did not propose policy changes at this briefing but presented the operational chronology to the council. Council members had no recorded formal questions beyond expressions of thanks.
