SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Fire Department and San Diego Lifeguards saved 13 people who were almost swept away by the rising San Diego River Sunday night.
According to first responders, they received a frantic call from someone stuck on an island on the San Diego River, nearby the Morena Avenue Bridge.
The 911 caller was asking for help since the swift waters were rapidly rising, and the caller feared their group would be swept away.
When lifeguards and firefighters arrived, they started walking the banks of the river to search for people who needed help.
SDFD Deputy Chief Dan Eddy says 13 people were found and taken to safety. When ABC 10News arrived on the scene, one of was still being checked out by paramedics.
According to Eddy, the other 12 people did not want to be evaluated by paramedics.
The search effort took an extended period time. According to first responders, the people live along the river banks and islands, so they were caught off guard by the rushing river when the water level rose.
Most of the people grabbed what they could of their belongings, but a lot of their stuff washed down the river.
Lifeguards on the scene handed out blankets to the people they rescued.
Eddy says SDFD has deployed several swift water rescue teams to look for more people. They're also using a drone to try to read heat signatures.
Eddy says the water rose exponentially over several hours as runoff streamed down from the mountains.
