Los Angeles Crews Rescue Two in River Channel

A man, 21, and woman, 18, were pulled from a fast-moving Los Angeles River tributary by firefighters early Monday.

March 18, 2019

Los Angeles firefighters rescued a man and woman from a fast-moving channel of the Los Angeles River early Monday.

The man, 21, and woman, 18, were swept along the Pacoima Wash for miles in waters that reached around 20 mph, KNBC-TV reports. While moving in the water, they called 9-1-1 before eventually being able to grab a wall to wait for firefighters.

"LAFD quickly deployed their aerial ladder with a firefighter dangling from a harness off of the end of the ladder," department spokesman Nicoals Prange said. "Both patients were extricated from the river within 15 minutes of resources getting to the scene."

The pair was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. It wasn't clear why the two entered the tributary, KNBC reports.