A cyclist attempting to cross a severe landslide in Big Sur on Friday morning fell more than 100 feet toward the sea, sustained injuries and had to be flown to a hospital by helicopter.
Cody Mortensen, a 28-year-old from the San Bernadino town of Lucerne Valley, was warned that there was no safe way through Regent’s Slide, according to the California Highway Patrol. It is illegal to ride a bike or walk past a “road closed” sign.
The landslide, triggered after heavy winter rains, is steep and has no path. It is located at mile 27.5 and is still active. A video shot last month by Mark Readdie, director of Big Creek Natural Reserve in Big Sur, shows earth and rocks tumbling into the sea.
As Mortensen approached the landslide around 9:30 a.m., a construction worker told him the road was impassable “and if he tried to cross it, he would probably die,” CHP reported. “Mortensen said he would try anyway.”
About an hour later, State Park Ranger F. Bettencourt arrived at the scene. Looking to the side, he saw a backpack and a bloody arm below them.
Mortensen, who survived the fall, abandoned his bike and climbed down to the beach, where he was rescued by Bettencourt and Big Sur firefighters.
According to Big Sur resident Kate Novoa, an eyewitness said he appeared confused and complained of a head injury. He spoke of falling on the slide, hitting his head and a rock rolling down his arm. He was treated for a cut on his forearm and possible head trauma, then taken by ambulance to Post Ranch and flown by helicopter to Natividad Medical Center to treat his injuries.
Mortenson faces at least two charges: willfully disobeying the orders of a traffic controller and disregarding traffic signs and signals. He also endangered the lives of emergency responders who had to cross an active landslide, CHP said.
The landslide is one of three landslides caused by winter storms. The other two, Paul’s Slide and Dolan Point, have been repaired and reopened.
This has transformed the stunning coastal Highway 1 into two dead-end roads accessible only from the north and east, preventing travellers from travelling the entire route along the world-famous coastline.
The closure has meant tough times for businesses in the village of Big Sur, which depends on tourism from Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and other Southern California cities.
Caltrans expects to reopen the section of highway affected by Regent’s Slide in the fall. Work has been delayed due to the danger and daily unpredictability of the site. Novoa said workers are checking above and below the work bench daily for new cracks. The “spider excavators” are wired to bulldozers in case the hill collapses.
Road information and updates can be found on Caltrans District 5’s social media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5), and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
