An Ojai woman was rescued from the Pacific Ocean on Friday afternoon after she apparently drove her vehicle off the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County, authorities said.
Dramatic footage posted by the Ventura County Aviation Unit shows the woman on a gurney being hoisted to a helicopter after rescuers pulled her from the water.
The victim was flown to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks for treatment, according to the county aviation unit.
The California Highway Patrol identified the victim as an 18-year-old Ojai resident. The accident happened north of Yerba Buena Road around 1:11 p.m. and involved a Mercedes traveling northbound, according to KTLA-TV Channel 5. It’s unclear what caused the crash.
The woman was able to get out of the vehicle before rescuers arrived. Police said Friday that the vehicle was unable to be immediately recovered due to unsafe conditions.
Authorities are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to call the CHP Ventura-area office to speak with an investigator at (805) 662-2640.