Woman hospitalized after trying to rescue dog at Fort Funston

SAN FRANCISCO — A woman was hospitalized Wednesday after she tumbled down a side of a seaside cliff while trying to rescue her dog, officials said.

Rescue crews were called out to Fort Funston — a park in San Francisco — around 3:50 p.m. after the dog went over the side of the cliff and the woman fell about 50 feet to the beach below as she tried to retrieve her pet, said National Park Service spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet.

"We had to do two rescues," Picavet said. "A person roped in a harness to rescue the dog and three paramedics and a park ranger going down to the beach."

When paramedics and the park ranger reached the woman they called for a California Highway Patrol helicopter to take her to a hospital.

Officials did not provide details of the nature of the woman's injuries. Her name has not been released.

The park is popular with dog owners because their dogs can run off leash, but it's not uncommon for rangers to have to perform a rescue along the park's towering bluffs to save a dog that's become so distracted that it runs off the side of a cliff, Picavet said.

"Several times a year a trained professional park ranger has to do a technical rope maneuver to rescue a dog," Picavet said.

As for the dog, it was unhurt after being rescued by a ranger who was lowered about 75 feet down the side of the cliff on ropes and with a special harness designed to rescue scared dogs, Picavet said.