Los Angeles Fire Department crews rescued a man who jumped from the 6th Street Bridge into the Los Angeles River and was carried away by the current Sunday morning.
The man was seen climbing the 6th Street Bridge around 10 a.m., before jumping into the water below, fire officials said.
The river, which was moving at speeds of about 5-10 mph, according to officials, carried the man about three-quarters of a mile away until he ended up on an embankment south of the 10 Freeway overpass.
The man suffered undisclosed injuries during the fall, which prevented him from getting himself to safety. Fire officials estimated the water was only about 2-feet deep below the bridge where he jumped.
An LAFD helicopter responded to the scene and hoisted the man to safety with the assistance of crews on the ground. The unidentified man was taken to the hospital for moderate injuries and was listed in fair condition.
This particular rescue went smoothly, fire officials said, because the man was able to get himself out of the water on his own and the area was accessible to the helicopter. A swift water rescue crew was also nearby training in the area, so multiple first responders were able to be at the scene quickly.
With another round of storms headed to Southern California, LAFD Battalion Chief Brett Willis urges people to “stay away” from the water, as many water rescues don’t go as smoothly as Sunday’s did.
“It adds an additional risk to the public, it adds risk to the firefighters performing the rescue, there’s no reason to be near the channel, so stay away. Keep your kids away, your pets away, don’t take a walk near it … this is not a safe place to be hanging around,” Willis said.
Fire officials added that the river will likely be flowing with added power when the upcoming storms arrive, meaning the water will be even more dangerous.