Man, 18, Survives Van's Fall Over Cliff -- At Least Two Are Killed In 500-Foot Plunge To Sea

PACIFICA, Calif. - A van plunged off Highway 1 down a steep cliff before dawn yesterday and landed 500 feet below in the storm-tossed Pacific Ocean. At least two people were killed.

An 18-year-old man rescued on the rocky cliff face by helicopter indicated two or three people still were inside the van, said Gene Strecker of the California Highway Patrol.

Rescuers recovered the bodies of two women, one about half a mile out to sea and the other in the surf at the foot of the cliff, Strecker said. Neither was identified.

The van left the rain-slicked scenic road at a steep spot called Devil's Slide about 10 miles south of San Francisco.

"This is a famous area for accidents," said San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff Michael Berndl. Every year, three or four vehicles go over the cliff there, he said.

When divers finally reached the submerged and battered van, it was too crushed to determine whether any bodies were inside, officials said.

Thomas Burns, the rescued man, was taken by helicopter to a hospital. A nursing supervisor said he was in serious condition.

A witness told authorities the van left the pavement, teetered a moment on a small rise and then went over the cliff.