Excruciating moment teen plummets off Sunset Cliffs — as dramatic rescue caught on camera

Here we go again.

A teen was filmed scrambling up San Diego’s notorious Sunset Cliffs before losing his grip, slamming onto a jagged ledge and plunging into the Pacific Ocean — just days after a 17-year-old was hospitalized following a horrifying jump at the same spot.

The latest stomach-churning footage, posted to Instagram, shows the unidentified teen scaling the sandstone bluff before tumbling onto the rocks below and falling into the water.

A rescue helicopter equipped with airlift gear is then seen flying above the scene as San Diego lifeguards swim toward the fallen teen, with an ocean-safety jet ski floating nearby.

Rescuers eventually secure the teen to a stretcher before using a hoist system to haul him back up the cliff to safety, the video shows.

The teen’s identity, condition and extent of his injuries remain unknown Wednesday, according to Surfer Magazine.

The dramatic rescue unfolded at the same stretch of coastline where another viral video captured a 17-year-old sprinting toward the edge and attempting to leap over the rocks below just days earlier.

Instead of clearing the bluff, the teen violently smashed into a rocky ledge and tumbled helplessly into the churning water.

San Diego lifeguards pulled him from the ocean before he was taken to a hospital with a leg injury.

“I will say that he is very lucky that he only injured his leg,” San Diego Fire-Rescue Lt. Charlie Knight told NBC San Diego after the first incident.

“This could have easily been paralysis, death, or even hitting the cliff, going unconscious and drowning in the water.”

Jumping off the cliff is illegal under city municipal code, which prohibits jumping or diving into the Pacific or Mission Bay from any land that is more than five feet above the water.

“We want locals and visitors to enjoy San Diego’s coastline safely,” San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Candace Hadley said.

“Please stay back from cliff edges, follow all posted warnings and never jump from cliffs or other elevated areas into the water.”

The picturesque bluffs have become a notorious destination for clout-chasing thrill seekers, with some observers linking the risky behavior to the social media trend known known as “aura farming” — performing increasingly flashy stunts to rack up views and online clout.

But the potentially deadly consequences at Sunset Cliffs are nothing new.

A 15-year-old died after jumping from the cliffs in 2019, according to Surfer Magazine.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters