A Dad And His Son Fell 500 Feet Off A Cliff While In Their Car, And They Miraculously Survived

The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Department posted on Facebook about a terrifying accident that turned into a life or death situation for a father and son driving in California.

Scott Anderson and his 11-year-old son were driving on the highway beside an embankment when their car rolled off the edge.

There were no signs of a connection to the father’s driving, and the California Highway Patrol detected no substances on the scene that could have impacted the accident.

The Toyota flipped several times before the vehicle landed far down the hillside.

A firefighter unit encountered a road marker that had been run over, but it was difficult to identify what had happened. Luckily, a firefighter was able to spot the wrecked car, even at a distance.

Search and Rescue came to the scene along with an ambulance. Unfortunately, the elements were against the team. Wind and rain obscured their view of the scene and presented additional logistical roadblocks.

Once the car was secured, rescuers began pulling it up the slope. The father and son were taken to the local hospital and were conscious and communicative.

According to the sheriff’s estimate, the Andersons fell between 400 and 500 feet.

Mariposa County Sheriff’s Department; pictured above firefighters and a Search and Rescue team work to save Scott and his son

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He told CBS San Francisco, “I know the ropes they were using were 600-foot ropes, and once they reached the patients, they had about 100 feet left.”

The county sheriff described the scene saying, “The area that this car went off is an extremely steep canyon and it’s an extremely rural area of the county.”

He also said about the firefighter who found the father and son, “Their brave actions and their skills were able to find this vehicle.”

He concluded that the pair had been lucky. They were both wearing their seatbelts and only suffered minor injuries.

Still, the sheriff considered the positive outcome miraculous. “Definitely, somebody was looking out for them.”

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