Man Falls from Highway 154

Stopped in traffic on Highway 154 last night, a 36-year-old man abandoned his vehicle and walked over to the side of the road, falling 250 feet into Windy Gap canyon below, according to a Santa Barbara County Fire Department press release issued this morning.

The accident — which occurred at around 10:45 p.m. — was met with an emergency response from County Fire, the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, AMR, Caltrans, and the CHP.

Reportedly, those involved in the rescue rappelled down to the man and found he had incurred a fractured lower leg and multiple abrasions during the fall. He was then lifted up with a pulley rope system and safely transported to Cottage Hospital. The rescue operation took approximately three hours. Meanwhile, the CHP is investigating the cause of the fall.