KTLA

Swift water crew rescues man and woman from swollen L.A. River

A man and woman were rescued Monday from the swollen Los Angeles River amid a downpour from the first winter storm of the season.

Dozens of emergency personnel, including a swift water rescue team, responded to the L.A. River just south of Glendale Boulevard when a passerby discovered two people stranded just before 2:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department stated in a news alert.


The man and woman were found standing uninjured on a small island in the middle of the river as 3- to 4-foot-deep storm water rushed by.

Officials believe the man and woman lived at, or near, the location where they became stranded.

It took crews a little more than an hour to tether an inflatable boat and complete the rescue, according to the Fire Department.

The man and woman were treated and released at the scene.

The Fire Department searched the area following the rescue to be sure no other people or pets had been trapped in the water.