Caught on video: Crews rescue man from rain-swollen Los Angeles River in Southern California

Friday, March 17, 2023
BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES -- A dramatic rescue captured on video showed the moment Southern California crews hoisted a man to safety after he became trapped in the rain-swollen Los Angeles River on Wednesday afternoon.

Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to a report of a person in distress in Boyle Heights just after 5 p.m.

SEE ALSO | Severe weather threatens 25M Americans; storm system pounds CA with hurricane-force winds, flooding
[Ads /]
Aerial footage showed the victim holding on for dear life next to a concrete wall as crews tried to rescue him from the raging river.

It's unclear how the man became trapped, but he was in the water for at least 30 minutes.

Crews called for a fire department helicopter and lowered a rescue worker down to get a hold of him.

READ MORE | California's Pajaro River breaches, residents urged to evacuate

Despite battling the fast-moving water, the victim was able to latch on to the first responder and get hoisted into the chopper.
[Ads /]
The victim, a 51-year-old man, was taken to L.A. County + USC Medical Center to be treated for hypothermia.
Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.