Swift current carries man for miles after he falls into wash, California officials say
A man was rescued after he fell into a wash and was swept away by swift-moving storm water, California fire officials said.
The swift current carried the 23-year-old man about 2.5 miles down the Pacoima Wash flood control channel underneath a Los Angeles freeway on Tuesday, March 7, according to updates from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Several people called 911 after seeing the man swept away in the wash, the fire department said.
When the fire department arrived, it said it found the man “clinging to a concrete divider.”
The water in the channel was about 18 inches deep and moving 8 to 10 mph, according to the fire department.
The fire department said it transitioned from its plan for a rope rescue to a swift water rescue using a tethered inflatable boat.
After being rescued, the man was taken to a hospital in “fair condition for treatment of hypothermia and abrasions to his hands,” the fire department said.
“This incident underscores the life-threatening danger of storm water runoff that can linger long after the rain has passed,” the fire department wrote, adding that bystanders did the right thing by calling 911 and not attempting to rescue the man themselves.
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Swift current carries man for miles after he falls into wash, California officials say."
