STRINGER Authorities believe the man may have been homeless, and gotten stuck on higher ground in the middle of the river. Jane Yamamoto reports for the NBC4 News at 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019.
A 40-year-old man stranded in the Los Angeles River near Atwater Village was rescued by firefighters Sunday, narrowly avoiding the 20 mph waters.
After a patrolling LA Fire Department rescue team discovered the man at about 3 p.m, about 40 rescuers were called to the location, near Los Feliz Blvd, according to LAFD spokesperson Brian Humphrey. A helicopter was also overhead in case the crew couldn’t get to the man.
As the 2-foot-deep waters continued to rise, the rescue team reached the man, trapped on a narrow piece of higher ground near the trees. He was harnessed and loaded onto an inflatable boat before being taken to safety.
The man was rescued within two minutes of the crew’s arrival.
It remains unclear why he was stuck in the river. But firefighters believe he may have been one of the homeless people who encamp near the river.
The man was uninjured and declined medical treatment, though the firefighters gave him a blanket to protect himself from the rain.
