A vehicle went off Highway 154 at the Cold Spring Bridge on Saturday afternoon, prompting an extended rescue of an injured woman.

Crews from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and Los Padres National Forest were dispatched to the incident at approximately 2 p.m., according to emergency dispatch reports.

The woman was ejected from the vehicle and ended up 150 feet off Highway 154 on a steep slope as emergency personnel discussed how to access the patient.

California Highway Patrol officers and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputies also were dispatched to the incident, where several Good Samaritans also were assisting.

The gray sedan ended up on Stagecoach Road under the bridge.

A Santa Barbara County helicopter was dispatched to help get the patient to the hospital.

Approximately 10 Santa Barbara Search and Rescue volunteers also responded to assist.

Crews at the scene assessed whether to hoist the injured woman into the helicopter or use ground crews to remove her from the steep terrain.

Ultimately, they hoisted the patient into the helicopter at approximately 2:45 p.m. and transported the woman to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment of major injuries.

Incident commanders also discussed closing Highway 154 for a time while emergency personnel and vehicles were at the scene. 

Traffic on the two-lane Highway 154 reportedly was heavy on Saturday, according to emergency reports.

CHP officers were investigating the circumstances of the incident.