Calif. Firefighters Save Man in Unique Creek Rescue

April 04--Firefighters rescued a man who tumbled headfirst into San Francisquito Creek on Wednesday.

Firefighters were called to the intersection of Cowper Street and Palo Alto Avenue in Palo Alto just before 4:20 p.m. They found an empty motorized wheelchair nearby and a man suspended in some brush eight to 10 feet above the relatively dry creek bed, Battalion Chief Chris Woodard told The Daily News.

"That's what saved him from breaking his neck," Woodard said, about the brush. He estimated the man fell 10 feet.

Using ropes, firefighters climbed down to the man and discovered that he was unscathed by the fall, said fire Capt. Ryan Stoddard. After extricating him, they used a harness to move him to a ladder and helped him climb up. Woodard said he doubted the man could have gotten free without some assistance.

The man didn't offer an explanation as to why he fell into the creek. The motorized wheelchair was his, though.

"He was very thankful to us for pulling him up," Woodard said.

Woodard said the man, described as in his 60s, is a member of downtown Palo Alto's homeless population. He was cleared medically and released at the scene.

The entire operation took about 45 minutes, said Stoddard, adding that most members of the fire department are trained in "low-angle" rescues such as the one required Wednesday.

Police officers closed parts of Cowper Street, Palo Alto Avenue and Tasso Street while firefighters were on the

scene.

Email Jason Green at [email protected]; follow him at twitter.com/jgreendailynews.

Copyright 2013 - Palo Alto Daily News, Calif.