Rescue teams respond to two similar incidents on Gilbraltar Road

Multiple fire and law enforcement agencies responded to two over-the-road incidents on Gibraltar Road on Thursday.

Two men in their twenties drove up the road when the driver lost control and missed the turn.

Their car rolled over several times off the side before it rested on top of a car that drove off 20 hours earlier the same day. Two California Highway Patrol officers found the victims.

Emergency personnel from the Montecito Fire Protection District, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Santa Barbara City Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, American Medical Response and CHP were on scene.

Using a combined mutual aid response system, rescue personnel used ropes to lower fire and paramedics to treat the two men and secure them in a stretcher.

“It’s the terrain. It’s very steep. A lot of loose rocks especially with the fires that have gone through there recently. A lot of vegetation that would normally hold the rocks are gone. So when you’re stepping on rock fall is a danger,” said Nelson Trichler, incident commander for Search and Rescue.

So far this year, search and rescue has responded to more than 160 calls.