VIDEO: Dramatic Rescue Of Man Afloat In Pacific; Tangled In Fishing Line

FORT ROSS (CBS SF) -- A man who may have fallen off a cliff at Fort Ross into the Pacific Ocean and then became entangled in a fishing line was rescued and taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, authorities said.

A U.S. Coast Guard team, two helicopters -- CHP H-2 and Sonoma County Sheriff's Henry One -- Sonoma County sheriff deputies and other agencies responded to the scene after receiving a call of man in the water at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"The subject was in the water for about 30 minutes and became tangled in what appeared to be fishing line about 50 yards from shore and couldn't swim to safety," the Sonoma County Sherriff's Department posted on Facebook.

Sonoma County Sheriff's Henry One's crew lowered a paramedic and a rescue line to the struggling man.

"The rescue paramedic was able to cut the subject free and the pair were flown back to shore," deputies posted.

Once onshore, the CHP helicopter became involved.

"CHP H-32 flew the critically injured patient to Santa Rosa Memorial for treatment sustained in the fall and for treatment from being in the ocean for almost an hour," the CHP posted on Facebook. "Fortunately the patient was wearing a life jacket that was able to keep him afloat in the 50 degree ocean water."