Fresno man rescued from Morro Rock after proposing to girlfriend

Sometimes, romance can be rocky.

A man had to be rescued from Morro Rock on Thursday after climbing it to propose to his girlfriend.

Morro Bay State Park ranger Dale Kinney says the man — identified as Michael John Paul Banks, 27, of Fresno — climbed the southern side of the Rock after sunrise to propose to his girlfriend over the video-messaging app Facetime.

Banks attempted to climb down the precarious eastern side of the Rock and became stuck, Kinney said.

A CHP helicopter was dispatched to the Rock shortly after 8:30 a.m. The Morro Bay fire and police departments, as well as State Parks and Harbor Patrol, were on scene as well.

“It was a pretty amazing rescue on the part of the Fire Department,” Kinney said, because the helicopter had to fly close to the Rock to get a harness on the man. The man was safely returned to land after 9:30 a.m., with only a few scrapes and a misdemeanor citation for trespassing.

Banks' eventful day didn't end there. According to the San Luis Obispo County sheriff's website, he was booked into jail Thursday night of charges of drug possession and being under the influence.

But the story does have at least one happy ending: Banks’ girlfriend said “yes.”

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 2:23 PM with the headline "Fresno man rescued from Morro Rock after proposing to girlfriend."