Cliff rescue near Goleta Beach prompts Santa Barbara County Fire to caution people about risks of high tides

GOLETA, Calif. – A minor cliff rescue near Goleta Beach on Tuesday afternoon prompted Santa Barbara County Fire officials to urge people to take caution when walking along the bluffs during high tides.

Santa Barbara County Fire crews were called down to Goleta Beach near UC Santa Barbara's Campus Point around 2:10 p.m. on Tuesday to rescue a woman in her 60s who got trapped on the bluffs by the high tides, county fire spokesman Scott Safechuck told News Channel 3-12.

The woman was walking back to her car at Goleta Beach when the tides came in and started smashing against her, forcing her to cling to a nearby rock to stay above the water, Safechuck said.

The bluff where the woman was trapped is about 30 feet off the ground, but when the high tides come in, Safechuck said that the beach below disappears.

"It's just really important for people to be cautious of those high tides, sometimes people walk along the bluffs here, and even near the Mesa, and don't realize how dangerous those tidal waves can be," Safechuck said.

"People really need to be careful, they can get seriously injured in those situations."

Safechuck said it is easy for people to get trapped by the big tidal waves that come in.

Crews were able to rescue the woman with the help of a civilian who called in to report the rescue after he heard her yelling from down below, Safechuck said, adding that the civilian was able to direct crews to the woman's location.

The woman only sustained minor injuries such as cuts and scrapes, and Safechuck said that crews felt comfortable releasing her home.