An elderly man has had a fortunate escape after falling down a cliff in one of Sydney's most exclusive suburbs, with specialist emergency crews performing a dramatic rescue.
Cliff Rescue in Affluent Suburb
Emergency services rushed to a residence on Upper Fairfax Road in Mosman shortly after 4:00 PM on Friday. The call came in following reports of a man in distress. The incident involved a man aged in his 80s who had fallen down a cliff.
Specialist rescue teams managed to reach the man and extract him from the precarious situation. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the man at the scene for leg injuries sustained in the fall. Authorities reported he was in a stable condition following the ordeal.
Man Refuses Further Hospital Treatment
Despite the seriousness of the incident and the injuries to his legs, the octogenarian made the decision to refuse further hospital treatment. After being assessed and treated by paramedics on-site, he chose not to be transported to a medical facility for additional care.
The successful rescue operation in the harbourside suburb highlights the preparedness of NSW's emergency response teams for complex incidents in challenging terrain.
Busy Start to 2026 for Emergency Services
This cliff rescue comes during a particularly demanding period for NSW's emergency and lifesaving services in the early days of 2026. The state has been rocked by a series of separate tragedies and incidents:
- Melissa Austin, a beloved mother and hairdresser, died after getting into difficulty at Dunbogan Beach on the state's Mid-North Coast on Thursday.
- Searches are continuing for a 14-year-old boy who went missing at Palm Beach in Sydney's northern beaches after the boat he was in capsized on New Year's Eve. A man's body has already been recovered from this incident.
- A search is also ongoing for a 25-year-old man at Coogee Beach in Sydney's east, who has been missing since New Year's Eve.
Since Christmas Day, NSW surf lifesavers have performed more than 85 rescues across the state's beaches, underscoring the intense operational tempo for frontline responders during the summer holiday period.
