Girl rescued from side of cliff near Douglas Family Preserve

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue and Santa Barbara City Firefighters rescued a teenage girl from the side of a cliff Thursday evening.

The rescue happened near the Douglas Family Preserve. The girl was taken to the hospital with minor scrapes and bruises.

Firefighters say she was clinging to the side of the cliff, in a spot that made rescue operations challenging.

“We had to actually get access to about 150 to 200 feet down the cliff to get access to where she was, so we could get the rope and the rescue personnel over the side [of the cliff] to get to her,” Santa Barbara City Fire Battalion Chief Mike De Ponce said.

There is a rugged trail in the area, De Ponce said, but it's still unclear exactly how the girl first became trapped on the side of the cliff.