A driver who was ejected when his car left Highway 1 in a rugged area of coastal Sonoma County was found seriously injured after an hour-long search, the sheriff’s office said.
The crash was reported Sunday morning by the car’s automatic crash notification system, with coordinates indicating it was occurring near Jewell Gulch, between Jenner and Fort Ross.
A state parks ranger located the wreck about 200 feet up a steep slope; a tree had stopped him from falling to the ocean.
When the ranger got out to check for occupants, the vehicle was empty, the sheriff’s office report states.
Around 8 a.m., the Sonoma County Sheriff’s helicopter was deployed to search for the driver. With a crew member hanging from a 100-foot rope, the helicopter hovered over the area. After about an hour, searchers focused on a ravine where earth had been disturbed and eventually found the victim in a brush area about 350 feet from the car.
A paramedic was brought to the victim, who was airlifted to a trauma hospital. Although seriously injured, he is expected to survive, according to the sheriff’s report.
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