Two adults and two young children have been rescued after their car plunged more than 75 metres (250 feet) off a cliff in northern California.

The Tesla sedan crashed off the cliff, along the Pacific Coast Highway, near an area known as Devil’s Slide on Monday.

The car appeared to have flipped a few times before landing on its wheels, wedged against the cliff just feet from the shoreline, according to Brian Pottenger from California’s Coastside Fire Protection District (CFPD).

A 4-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy and two adults survived the crash.

Crews pulled the children out of the back window and brought them up the cliff by hand in a rescue basket using a rope system.

They were rushed to the hospital by ambulance, with what emergency services described as “musculoskeletal injuries”.

The adults, who had more serious injuries, were hoisted up the cliff by a helicopter and flown to hospital.

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Officials did not say if the four occupants of the car were members of the same family.

An investigation is taking place as to what caused the Tesla to go off the road.

The scene of the crash, known as Devil’s Slide, is a steep, rocky and winding coastal area around 15 miles (24 kilometres) south of San Francisco.

The Pacific Coast Highway, also known as State Route 1, and which is a popular route for tourists, runs along the cliff and the area is well-known locally for fatal crashes.