A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s helicopter landed on the edge of Via de Las Olas Bluffs on Friends Street on Thursday, Oct. 9, to help a despondent teen, according to authorities.
The incident occurred on the south side of the bluffs at aproximately 5 p.m.
Photo: Steve Galluzzo
Deputy James Wolfhope, who was one of the two deputies inside the aircraft, said they received the call out of the City of Industry and had been following the teen’s blue Volkswagen Beetle.
He said the teen may have been upset over a recent breakup. No crime was committed, Wolfhope added.
Wolfhope said the two deputies exited the helicopter after landing to secure the location until Los Angeles Police units, who were busy with President Obama’s visit, arrived on the scene.
No injuries were reported.
“We just wanted to ensure the teen’s safety,” Wolfhope said. “It’s not often landings like this happen.”
The helicopter landed in an area less than a third of the size of a tennis court right on the edge of the bluff.
“We noticed it at about 5:30 p.m.,” said Shana Svendsen, a Friends Street resident. “The deputies were very cordial with the teen.”
They were in the air for about four to five minutes asking the teen to shows his hands from the car window before asking him to exit the vehicle, Svendsen said.
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