A Tesla Model 3 plunged approximately 300 feet off a cliff along Mulholland Highway in Malibu early Friday morning, May 29, 2026, sending both occupants to a local trauma center — but alive. The crash triggered a multi-agency rescue operation that required rappelling crews, helicopter-deployed medics, and the Jaws of Life to extract the survivors from a crumpled vehicle at the base of the cliff.
A Morning Plunge on Mulholland Highway
The incident was reported at approximately 7:30 a.m. near the 2500 block of Mulholland Highway, a winding two-lane road that traces the Santa Monica Mountains above the Pacific Coast.
The car came to rest some 300 feet below the roadway. Investigators had not publicly confirmed a cause as of early reporting.
First Responders Rappel to the Wreck
When first responders arrived, the male driver had already exited the vehicle and was calling for help from the cliff base below.
The female passenger remained pinned inside. Malibu Search and Rescue teams rappelled down the cliffside while a flight medic was lowered from a helicopter to treat both victims.
Multi-Agency Response to a Treacherous Scene
The operation drew resources from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the California Highway Patrol, McCormick Ambulance, and Malibu Search and Rescue.
Crews used the Jaws of Life to free the trapped passenger after the driver had been hoisted back up to the roadway. The terrain made conventional access to the crash site impossible.
Both Survivors Airlifted with Moderate Injuries
Both the driver and passenger were airlifted to a local trauma center following the rescue. Officials described their injuries as moderate — a striking outcome given the distance of the fall.
Neither was reported to be in critical condition as of initial reports. The full extent of their injuries was not immediately disclosed by responding agencies.
How the Cabin Held Together
The Tesla Model 3’s cabin appeared to retain much of its structure after the fall, a factor that likely contributed to both occupants surviving an impact that could otherwise have been fatal.
Emergency crews made no formal assessment of the vehicle’s structural performance at the scene.
Not the First Tesla to Survive a Cliff
The Malibu incident is not the first time a Tesla has carried occupants through a catastrophic fall. In January 2023, a Tesla Model Y plunged roughly 250 feet off a cliff at Devil’s Slide in San Mateo County, California.
That crash involved two adults and two children, all of whom survived with non-fatal injuries.
