A man was rescued from the swollen Los Angeles River on Monday after he jumped in to save his beloved dog, and the dramatic incident was caught on video.
The river was raging after a deadly atmospheric river storm slammed Southern California, including the Los Angeles area, with torrential rain that led to numerous reports of flooding and hundreds of landslides and mudslides across the region.
In a Facebook post, the Los Angeles Fire Department said firefighters responded to reports from bystanders who said they saw a man jump into the rushing water in an attempt to save his dog.
Emergency crews responded to several bridges and access points downstream to locate the animal, who had managed to swim safely to the edge and escape the water.
Like a scene from an action movie, an LAFD helicopter was able to lower a rescuer into the raging river, who was able to grab the man.
LAFD Daniel Castillo
Both were then hoisted into the helicopter and brought to solid ground, and the fire department said the victim was then taken to a local hospital to be treated.
In another Facebook post, the LAFD said that the dog was “happy to be alive and eager to reunite with his human.”
They thanked the Los Angeles Animal Services, who cared for the tired and scared pet while his human was being cared for at the hospital.
