Driver rescued after plunging hundreds of feet over Big Bear mountainside

San Bernardino County firefighters rescued a driver who plunged hundreds of feet over a mountainside near Big Bear Lake, near the Snow Valley Ski Resort, on Tuesday morning. 

They were dispatched to a part of Highway 18 just west of the lake after learning of a car that had gone approximately 200 feet down a rocky slope near an area called the "Arctic Circle" at around 10 a.m., said a social media post from SBCoFD. 

Crews said that the driver, an unidentified woman, was able to call 911 for help before she got out of the car. They were able to pinpoint her exact location, and upon arrival, found her sitting near her car, which was badly damaged. 

"Initial rescuers hiked down to the patient to begin immediate paramedic-level treatment for what were determined to be moderate to severe injuries," the post said. 

The rescuers lowered a litter down the slope to the crew members below, who loaded the victim onto the device. She was then hoisted to safety with a mechanical advantage rope system before being loaded into an ambulance and then taken to a nearby trauma center via helicopter. 

Firefighters said that the California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash. They said that the victim's car went through a guardrail before going over the side of the hill. 

In all, they said that the rescue took about an hour and a half. 

Police and San Bernardino County firefighters were assisted by personnel from the Big Bear Fire Department and the San Bernardino National Forest.