Woman Tumbles Over Ortega Highway Cliff

A woman who fell from a cliff above the Ortega Highway was in serious condition late Saturday at a Mission Viejo hospital, officials said.

Details of the incident were sketchy but police said the woman, whose name was not released, fell from a cliff above the highway about 13 miles east of Interstate 5. The highway was closed in both directions for a short period after the incident, which occurred about 1:30 p.m.

The woman was flown by emergency helicopter to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center, where she was undergoing surgery late Saturday, officials said. She suffered injuries to her face and right leg, they said.