Paramedics Rescue 2 Teens Trapped on San Pedro Cliff

A teen-age couple who fell down a steep coastal bluff in San Pedro were rescued early Saturday after an hourlong effort by paramedics who hoisted them up at least 100 feet to a hovering helicopter.

Robert Vokershing, 18, suffered a broken leg and some internal injuries after he fell about 70 feet trying to help Patricia Smith, 17, who initially slipped a few feet down the popular cliff-side hangout on Pacific Avenue about 11:30 p.m., said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. John Rakhola. Smith suffered only cuts and scratches. Both were in stable condition after being taken by helicopter to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

While reaching for a jacket, Smith lost her balance and slipped down the rocky bluff, Los Angeles Police Lt. Tim Murphy said. Vokershing tried to help her up, but lost his footing and slipped farther down the cliffs.

About 30 firefighters assisted in their rescue. Because the cliffs are so steep and the rocks unsteady, rescue helicopters had no place to land and were forced to hover above the bluff. The combination of sheer cliff face, narrow, rocky beach and the rising tide required the difficult technique of hoisting the two victims up to the helicopters, Rakhola said.