A man who jumped into the swollen Los Angeles River to save his dog was rescued on Monday, and the dramatic incident was captured on video.
Rivers were raging after a deadly atmospheric river storm pummeled Southern California, including the Los Angeles area, with heavy rain, leading to numerous reports of flooding and hundreds of landslides and mudslides across the region.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said in a Facebook post that firefighters responded to a call from a witness who said they saw a man jump into the rushing water to save his dog.
Emergency services rushed to several bridges and access points downstream to locate the animal. The animal managed to swim safely to the edge and escape the water.
Like a scene from an action movie, an LAFD helicopter lowered rescue workers into the rushing river, where they were able to grab the man.
LAFD Daniel Castillo
The two were then hoisted into a helicopter and taken to solid ground, and the victims were taken to a local hospital for treatment, the fire department said.
LAFD said in a separate Facebook post that the dog is “happy to be alive and eager to be reunited with its humans.”
They thanked Los Angeles Animal Services for caring for the tired and scared pet while the human was cared for at the hospital.
