Current Carries Man For Miles In Dramatic Pacoima Wash Tunnel Rescue

LOS ANGELES, CA — A 23-year-old man was plucked from the Pacoima Wash flood control channel underneath the Golden State (5) Freeway in a dramatic swift water rescue Tuesday morning.

The man is being examined for hypothermic symptoms and transported to a nearby hospital, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. Several bystanders called 911 for the man as the water carried him away. At one point, he was seen clinging to a concrete divider at the entrance of a tunnel underneath.

He slipped within a tunnel underneath the freeway where firefighters rescued him. The dangerous situation should serve as a reminder that the region's rain-swollen rivers and flood control channels remain unsafe even several days after a heavy storm has passed, Humphrey said in a written alert.

The rescue effort began shortly after 10 a.m. in a section of the channel near the 10900 block of Haddon Aveand and ended miles away near the 5 Freeway and the 10700 block of North Laurel Canyon Boulevard. According to Humphrey, the water was about 18 inches deep flowing at about 8 to 10 mph. Deceptively shallow, the current was strong enough to wash the boy away.

"With the young adult male victim now determined to be well within a tunnel that allows the Pacoima Wash flood control channel to cross beneath the Golden State (I-5) Freeway, the rescue plan has transitioned to LAFD Swift Water Rescue and LAFD Urban Search and Rescue personnel using a tethered inflatable LAFD Swift Water Rescue boat to perform the rescue," Humphrey reported at 10:45 a.m.

"This incident underscores the life-threatening danger of stormwater runoff that can linger long after the rain has passed," Humphrey said. "We're grateful for the witnesses who promptly called 9-1-1, and did not attempt to perform a spontaneous rescue, which could have led to multiple victims and the loss of lives.

"Though our skies are now clear, storm drains and flood control channels remain life-threatening, and we ask parents to make sure all household members are aware of the danger. When it comes to fast-moving floodwater, even that which is a few inches deep, the LAFD says 'Stay Away and Stay Alive'.