The Los Angeles Fire Department’s swift water rescue squad was pressed into action twice this afternoon, pulling two people from storm-swollen water basins.
The squad is made up of firefighters trained in water-rescue techniques who use boats and helicopters to reach victims, according to officials.
The first rescue was made around 12:30 p.m. after a woman was trapped along an embankment at a flood basin in the 3300 block of West Riverside Drive, officials said.
A passerby heard the woman screaming and she was rescued without any injuries.
Around 4 p.m., a man was trapped on a small island in a flood basin along the 3200 block of Los Feliz Boulevard, officials said.
Firefighters tried to hoist the man from the island with a helicopter, but he refused to cooperate, officials said.
A firefighter tied to a rope was able to traverse the fast-moving water and pull the man to safety. He was uninjured.
“They’ve been worked to the hilt today,” Fire Department spokesman Devin Gales said of the squad.
Story by LA Now
You must log in to post a comment.