A pregnant woman had to be rescued Tuesday after getting trapped inside a rain-swollen storm drain in Anaheim.
A caller alerted officials around 9:15 a.m. that the woman was trapped in a drain that feeds into the Santa Ana River, Anaheim Police Department Sgt. John McClintock said.
Crews from multiple agencies, including the Police Department and Orange County Fire Authority, responded to the incident.
“Upon their arrival, they discovered a pregnant adult woman was trapped inside of the storm drain because the waters had risen,” McClintock said.
With the help of swift water rescue personnel, Anaheim search crews worked for more than an hour to get the woman out safely.
Their main concerns were the fast-moving water due to the recent rainfall and making sure the woman “didn’t get into the actual river bed and go downstream,” McClintock said.
The woman managed to walk out of the storm drain with the assistance of the rescue crews around 10:40 a.m.
“We believe the woman was part of our unhoused population … That was probably where she was staying during this rain and it poses significant danger staying in those storm drains,” McClintock said, adding that several emergency shelters have been activated in Anaheim to assist the unhoused during this rain event.
“They can come to the Anaheim Police Department, Anaheim Fire and Rescue and we can assist them,” McClintock said.
The unidentified woman did not appear to suffer any injuries but was expected to be transported to a local hospital for evaluation.