Ignoring warnings that he “will probably die,” a bicyclist tried in vain to cross a stretch of Highway 1 in Big Sur that was buried under a landslide, and quickly plummeted down the sheer wall of rock and dirt, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Cody Mortensen, 28, of Lucerne Valley, suffered multiple injuries but survived, CHP spokesman Saul Perez said in a news release.
That scenic section of Highway 1 is known for its frequent rock slides and earth movements, which have led to multiple closures since January 2023. Several sections have reopened after careful repairs, but one of the largest slides, known as Regent's Slide, continues to overwhelm the two-lane highway, blocking all traffic through the area.
On Friday morning, Mortensen drove over road closure signs before encountering a construction worker, Perez said. The crew member explained that the road was closed due to a rock slide.
The worker told Mortensen that “the road is not passable and that if he tries to cross he will probably die,” according to Perez. “Mortensen said he was going to try it anyway.”
About an hour later, a state park ranger visiting the landslide area saw a backpack and a bloody arm about 100 feet below the slide and requested a search and rescue team.
Rescuers found Mortensen on the beach, where he had been able to climb down the steep slope, authorities said. First responders treated him for a cut on his arm and possible head trauma before he was airlifted to a hospital.
Mortensen will face traffic tickets for failing to obey traffic signals and failing to obey a person directing traffic, Perez said.
“It also endangered the lives of rescue personnel who had to navigate through an active landslide,” Perez said. “Road closures are implemented for the safety of the public and the crews working.”
Repairs to Regent's Slide are scheduled to be completed by late fall, according to Kevin Drabinski, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation, and the road will remain closed until then.
In March, the landslide dumped approximately 300,000 cubic yards of dirt, rock and other debris onto the road during some of the season's intense atmospheric river storms.
“The repair at Regent's Slide is challenging in part because the slide begins at about 450 [feet] “This is an operation that is carried out above the roadway and due to the steepness of the slope,” Drabinski explained. “It also requires a top-down removal of the landslide material.”
“Crews are continually monitoring and adjusting their approach based on site conditions,” he said. “The slide material that falls naturally or is pushed from above not only covers the road, but continues to the beach and ocean below.”
When Regent's Slide is repaired, Highway 1 will be clear for uninterrupted coastal travel between Cambria and Carmel, something that hasn't been possible since January 2023.
