2 Rescued From Niles Canyon Floodwaters

FREMONT, CA — Flooding in Niles Canyon took a terrifying turn Tuesday night when a car was swept away by floodwaters and two people had to be rescued. The water was four feet deep on the roadway in places, according to a written statement from Fremont Police.

No one was injured.

Niles Canyon Road, state highway 84, was closed to traffic at approximately 10:00 p.m. Tuesday night because of flooding and mudslides. At 11:07 p.m., Fremont Police received a call from a driver stuck in the canyon and their car was being overrun with water.

The car had entered the canyon from a side street and the water on the roadway initially swept the vehicle away, spinning it around. When the vehicle stopped it began to take on water.

Police initially had a hard time determining exactly where the vehicle was, but the car's GPS showed they were just west of the first bridge, closest to the Mission Boulevard entrance.

Fremont Police and Fremont Fire personnel entered the canyon to rescue two two people in the car. Rescuers determined that too dangerous to recover the car, so it was left in the canyon.

Fremont Fire personnel took the residents home.

Additional notifications were made to residents living in the immediate area of the canyon to warn them of the flooding.

As for Niles Canyon Road, it remains closed as Caltrans crews clean up mudslides and assure the integrity of the roadway following the flooding. They are targeting noon for reopening the highway but that could be pushed back depending on the extent of the damage.

-Image by Alex Nguyen, Patch