Tourists go over San Francisco cliff trying to retrieve a lost cell phone By
Two tourists had to be rescued from Lands End Trail in San Francisco on June 7, 2025. San Francisco Fire Department
Two tourists visiting San Francisco made a misguided decision on Saturday afternoon, resulting in a cliff rescue and a ticket from the U.S. Park Police.
The visitors were walking along the Lands End Trail between Mile Rock Beach and Deadman’s Point when one of them accidentally dropped his phone over the cliff. The tourists decided they would try to slide down the cliff’s edge and grab the cell phone, but both became stuck and were unable to climb back up.
At around 3:30 p.m., they called for help and firefighters from the cliff rescue and heavy rescue units arrived on scene. Video posted by the fire department showed the tourists being outfitted in helmets and harnesses, then helped up the cliffside via rope. The entire process took over an hour, fire officials said.
“Fortunately nobody was hurt,” the fire department wrote on Instagram. The tourists were visiting from Seattle.
Lands End Trail is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which means the tourists’ misadventure also constituted going off-trail on national park land. The fire department said they were issued tickets by park police; the fine could be as high as $300 per person.