Teen survives 100-foot fall off SJ cliff

A 17-year-old boy was rescued after he fell down a cliff at Alum Rock Park in San Jose this morning, a fire captain said.

Fire crews responded to a report of a person who fell down Eagle Rock Peak off of Penitencia Creek Road shortly after 10 a.m., fire Capt. Rob Brown said.

Firefighters with the assistance of crews from Cal Fire and park rangers searched for the boy, Brown said.

Crews initially had difficulty in locating the boy but park rangers found him at the bottom of the rock, according to Brown.

It was determined that the boy fell about 30 to 40 feet down from the rock and roughly 70 feet through brush, the captain said.

A cliff rescue team had to lower themselves 100 feet down to reach the boy and took him to a nearby helicopter, Brown said.

He was airlifted to a waiting ambulance that would transport him to a trauma center, according to Brown.

The boy was found conscious and suffered moderate injuries, the captain said.

Brown applauded the efforts of firefighters, Cal Fire and park rangers in rescuing the boy from a very difficult spot and in an area where fatalities had occurred in the past.