Storm Waters Sweep Man Away In Riverside, Rescue Made

RIVERSIDE, CA — A man was swept away by raging waters in a storm canal amid intense rain in Riverside Tuesday, prompting firefighters to mount a rescue operation adjacent to the Riverside (91) Freeway to get him out.

The swift water rescue was initiated at 12:55 p.m. Tuesday after a female motorist parked near the intersection of Indiana and La Sierra avenues spotted the victim floating among debris, struggling to climb out of the drainage system, according to the Riverside Fire Department.

Multiple engine crews converged on the canal, making sweeps in the vicinity of Metrolink tracks and the freeway until they spotted the man waving his arms, perched on the side of the canal, at the La Sierra off-ramp from the eastbound side of the freeway, officials said.

A ladder truck company was summoned at 1:20 p.m. to extend its aerial ladder into the canal and create a foot bridge for the victim, according to reports from the scene.

The man, whose identity was not disclosed, was safely extricated at 1:30 p.m. He was not injured.

There was no word on why he was in the waterway as storm cells pounded the area.