Infant Survives Plunge Over Dana Point Cliff in Sports Car
A 17-month-old boy, alone in the passenger seat of his mother’s Jaguar, survived a 75-foot plunge over a Dana Point cliff, the California Highway Patrol said.
Nathan Longdon of Dana Point suffered a skull fracture and was listed in fair condition Wednesday at Mission Community Hospital in Mission Viejo.
The infant’s mother, identified as Jai Longdon, had parked the still-idling car on a Dana Point residential street Tuesday afternoon and did not engage the emergency brake, according to the CHP. Apparently the car, a 1973 Jaguar, slipped into gear as the mother stood on the sidewalk talking to someone.
As the car rolled away, the mother ran after it but could not stop it. The vehicle rolled down Auerlio Drive, through a plowed field and then over the cliff, landing 75 feet below on Coast Highway. No other car was struck, said Officer Patrick Barnard.
“The baby’s real lucky,” Barnard said. “It could have been a lot worse.”
A CHP spokesman said the baby was not in a protective seat.
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