A telephone call likely saved a California man’s life on Tuesday when a boulder crushed his vehicle.
Mauricio Henao, of Malibu, was sitting in the front seat of his Toyota Prius off the Pacific Coast Highway when his phone rang, KTLA-TV reported. He exited the vehicle to take the call from his girlfriend and then heard the sounds of massive rocks tumbling down a hillside, according to the television station.
“She said ‘Hey, check the bag I left in the house,” Henao told KCAL-TV. “I went inside and that’s when the noise started coming from the front of the house. It’s just loud booms and crashing.”
Malibu resident Mauricio Henao witnessed the rockslide come tumbling down the hillside and onto his car—only minutes before sitting inside. https://t.co/UJmueV6kXZ
— The Malibu Times (@TheMalibuTimes) January 12, 2023
One boulder did a number of Henao’s car.
“The rock is the size of the whole hood,”’ he told KTLA. “The windshields are all broken and the frame of the car is just all twisted.”
The big rock was about 4 feet in diameter, KCAL reported.
“I just said ‘Wow, this could’ve been me inside this car,” Henao told the television station.
The rockslide came after a historic storm hit California earlier this week, CNN reported. The storm left millions under flood watches, and caused flooded roads. Trees were also ripped from their roots.
Malibu Canyon had been closed on Tuesday when a boulder blocked both sides of the road, The Malibu Times reported.
Henao’s vehicle was located a short distance away, and he said he was grateful he exited his vehicle -- and thankful his girlfriend called.
“I said thank you for calling me because you saved my life,” Henao told KCAL. “If I’m this lucky, I should probably play the lotto right now because that’s really lucky, I feel,” he said.
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