Man rescued 12 hours after car goes down 300-foot embankment near Lake Sonoma

A man who drove down a 300-foot embankment near Lake Sonoma was found 12 hours later after a hiker spotted his car, Geyserville fire officials said.

The man, who was not identified, went off the roadway about 8 a.m. Tuesday on one of the loops at the Liberty Glen Campground, Geyserville Fire Capt. Joe Stewart said. It was not clear what caused the car to go down the embankment.

The man’s injuries were serious enough to prevent him from walking to safety, Stewart said. He was also unable to dial 911 for help.

“He said he was yelling for help and no one heard him,” Stewart said. “You could barely see the car, you had to be looking for it to see it.”

Nearly 12 hours passed before a hiker in the area saw the man’s car and alerted campground officials, prompting a call to 911.

The Geyserville Fire Protection District and Cal Fire responded around 7:30 p.m., and their crews helped get the man back onto the roadway and into an ambulance, which took him to a hospital.

The man’s injuries were not considered life-threatening, Stewart said.

You can reach Staff Writer Nashelly Chavez at 707-521-5203 or nashelly.chavez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @nashellytweets.